From Dark Paths Have We Come
by Iolar
Summary: Tommy Oliver & Harry Potter grow up together & have to find the way to survive alone in a world against them. Pre-Hogwarts.
1. Dark Paths

**FROM DARK PATHS HAVE WE COME**

Disclaimer: I do not own either Power Rangers or Harry Potter nor do I make any profit from these words.

I once again played around a lot with the back stories of the two stories but this time it'll be quickly apparent. The first part will be setting the 'pre-story' to Tommy and Harry's arrival in Angel Grove. Following this will be the 'Power Rangers' setting for the 'pre-Wizardry World' entrance. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Please Review.

**CHAPTER 1 -- DARK PATHS**

The boy glanced through his eyelashes as the new blood was ushered into the room, boredom the only apparent emotion emanating from him. Then something caught his eyes, though he couldn't say what it was really. The boy, second to last, just … drew him. While his indigo eyes met the other boy's he was careful not to draw anyone else's attention.

The man walked slowly down the line, scanning each of the new arrivals intently, though without ever touching them himself. Finally he motioned to four of the boys and said, "I'll take dem. Get dis filth outta here."

Another man bowed slightly to the man and quickly led the other boys out.

"T'omas," the man hissed and the boy quickly stepped forward, keeping his eyes down. "Clean de boys an' see dem t' de stables."

"Yes master," Thomas responded immediately, ushering the four boys to come with him. Once out of his master's sight he smiled a small smile as the boy who'd caught his eyes was among the chosen. While a part of him was glad he'd have a chance, small as it was, to get to know the boy and find out why he felt so drawn to him, he also knew what kind of life the boy would have here.

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"Hi," Thomas greeted softly, after finishing with the other three boys and moving to get the boy who drew his eyes cleaned and clothed, the rag robe the boys in the stables were allowed when they first arrived. Something told him the boy was not from anywhere around here so Thomas took care to suppress his accent. He'd been teaching himself to talk without it at will for awhile so his words came naturally. "I'm Thomas. You have a name?"

The boy looked timid and scared as was to be expected. "I -- Harry," he finally breathed. The boy, he was probably about the same age as Thomas, knew Thomas hadn't spoken to any of the other three boys so he wondered why he spoke now.

"It's a bad idea, getting friendly with anyone here," Thomas stated, keeping his voice soft and low, hoping the water would drown out anything said. "I -- I don't know why but … Just watch out for yourself, Harry, and you don't have a name to anyone else, okay? The master will give you one if he chooses but otherwise just … don't have a name. And don't trust anyone here. If you get close to anyone, they'll use them against you. Do what they say, it'll happen anyway and it'll just hurt worse for fighting. If you need to talk, ever, just … we'll find a way, okay? Just don't talk to me where others can hear or it will be used against us both, okay?"

Harry nodded. He'd been no one for as long as he could remember at his aunt and uncle's house so he could do it again. He smiled a small smile at Thomas. Some reason, he believed this other boy's words, trusted him.

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"No!" Thomas exclaimed as the man beat Harry, knowing from experience that when the man was this angry the boy never survived. He tried to run into the room but Loni, Mark and Bailey blocked him. Thomas knew he could take the three men down, he was one of the best cage fighters in the circuit, but not in time to save Harry. So he did something else, something he knew to be damned stupid even as he did so. "SEETHA! STOP!"

Seetha, the man, the master, let Harry fall to the ground and slowly turned to face the boy who dared not only to tell him to stop but to call him by name. He stalked forward, his eyes locked on those of the boy. Thomas didn't say another word, didn't try to escape the arms that held him locked in place -- and didn't drop his blue-gray gaze.

"T'omas," Seetha said in a soft and deadly tone, reaching up to cup the boy's cheek in his hand, Harry's blood covering it and staining Thomas's cheek. The boy didn't flinch from the touch or react in any way. Seetha knew this one would be trouble after his attempt to escape some years ago gave away his hidden talent at fighting. As he'd owned the boy since he was around two years old, Seetha knew Thomas hadn't learned before coming here so he'd obviously picked everything up from watching the fights. A dangerous skill, that, but one that made him worth a great deal of money. Not that Seetha would ever dare sell this little gold mine. No, the boy, barely seven years old, could take down any of his fighters, could please any man or woman, could learn anything they wanted him to know in such a short time. And lately he'd turned over most of the bookkeeping and office work to the boy as he could know any of it required so quickly and he would never have a chance to betray him to the law or competition. So no, Seetha would not part with this boy for any amount of money nor would he kill him for his insolence. That didn't mean he wouldn't pay, dearly.

Thomas finally dropped his gaze and breathed, "Please, master." Not wanting to give any more of his talents away, he made sure to speak with the accent Seetha expected to hear.

"What does dis boy mean t' y'?" Seetha demanded.

"Nothin'," he responded sounding truthful. But then with this one Seetha was never sure. "It's jus' dat … Master, it was m'."

Seetha raised an eyebrow. He couldn't quite believe that. "You? Y' spilled de food?"

"I -- I was in a hurry," Thomas stammered, working quickly to make up a believable facsimile. "It took longer in de kitchens dan it shoulda, an' I had de … appointment."

"An' why are y' no dere, now?"

"I had t' … It's dat … I had t' come back, t' confess t' y'," he breathed, finally.

Seetha laughed softly. This he could believe. The boy had an overactive sense of honor but he would never discourage this trait as it helped to control him. "Y' were t' see Monseur Boulvrard, oui?" he said as he motioned for his men to release the boy. "Go now, m' boy, an' stay anoder hour wit' him for bein' late. Den come t' me."

"Yes master." Thomas bowed slightly and stepped back to leave.

Seetha's voice stopped him. "An' T'omas? Nevah call m' by m' name again, boy. I am y'r master an' dat's how y' call m', always."

"Yes master," Thomas said again before leaving.

"Clean de boy and heal him," Seetha ordered as he left the room, leaving the three men to treat the other boy.

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Once healed, Thomas began planning. He knew most everything about the operation and used this intimate knowledge to his advantage. There wasn't much time anymore. Too many were in the room to see the truth of what occurred, to know Harry was the one that spilled the food and that Thomas lied. That no one had told Seetha yet was obvious as Seetha hadn't brought Harry in and forced Thomas to watch as he was killed. But someone would. Thomas had been there too long to doubt that. They were only holding out to use it to their greatest advantage.

Thomas moved at the break of dawn, when everyone was either passed out or too high to notice him. His nerves were strung high, a fearful dread filled him, but he refused to let it stop him. He moved softly and swift as a shadow through the stables, the club and bar, into the back office where Seetha kept his stashes. The boy opened the safe with the ease of familiarity and quickly removed the money to his bag, taking only small bills. There would be enough, he knew. There would have to be. Seetha wasn't fond of big, easily traced bills himself. Ignoring the stashes of heroin, LSD, crack, and … the other substances Seetha sold, the boy quickly resealed the safe.

On his way out, he stopped at one of the doors in the stables, quickly overriding the security lock on the outside. Swift and silent as a shadow, Thomas slipped into the cages and found the restlessly sleeping form of his friend. "Harry," he breathed, gently touching the other boy's shoulder. "Harry."

Harry's eyes flew open and he looked at Thomas in fear then dawning recognition. "Thomas?" he hesitantly asked. He'd thought Thomas's eyes were a light blue yet he was looking into Thomas's dark green gaze.

"We've gotta go," Thomas breathed softly. "Or we'll die here."

Harry nodded slightly and, with his friends' help, he climbed to his feet and followed after Thomas as they rushed from the complex.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	2. Running

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CHAPTER 2 -- RUNNING

Thomas looked around the store, amazed and overwhelmed by all the selection and people, the bright lights. It was ... different. So different from what he'd known before.

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Pull yourself together, man,

he thought to himself, almost angrily. _You know what this world is, just live it now._

With this admonition in mind, he quickly entered the crowd and made his way to the clothing his size. Just letting himself drift through the place, he picked up anything that looked interesting to him, placing it in his shopping basket if it's price wasn't too outrageous. After a couple hours of picking out clothing and trying it on, he finally made his selections, then moved over to those clothes just smaller, that would fit Harry, judging by their difference in stature. Then moved on to the accessories. This went much quicker, as he didn't have to figure out sizes on anything. Seetha did allow them that, at least. Glancing at the clock from time to time, he made his purchases.

Returning to the room they'd crashed in the past few days, he went through his purchases from today, and those preparatory items he'd picked up beforehand. With a sense of unease, he quickly packed their new belongings into the suitcases he'd purchased the other day, woke Harry, and together they hurried to the bus station.

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Thomas smiled self consciously when he reached the counter at the bus depot. "M' name's Theodore Ridre. M' pappa should have a ticket waitin' f' m' an' m' broder t' come stay wit' him?"

The lady at the counter smiled kindly at him, charmed by the young man's charisma and his shy brother hiding behind him. "Yes, it's right here," she said, as the computer called up the information the boy had inputted only an hour ago from a local internet cafe. After looking at the ID the boy had made for this, she gave him the tickets and showed him to the bus, which was just getting ready to leave.

Thomas leaned back in the very back of the bus, satisfied with his work so far. He and Harry shared a grin. Harry curled up to sleep, Thomas keeping guard. Tomorrow when the bus stopped wherever it happened to be, he'd unload their luggage and they'd catch a plane.

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Unloading their luggage several stops before their ticket names turned out to be more of a problem than Thomas had expected however after a bit of fast talking, and with the unexpected help of a small fire a few buildings down, he finally managed to gather their belongings and they disappeared. Now they stood at the terminal gate to their flight to the east coast.

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Thomas flinched as Harry reached for the man's wallet, somehow knowing this was no ordinary man, but he couldn't stop him without endangering him further. Maybe Harry would get by with it.

As the man's hand captured Harry's small wrist, Thomas rushed forward. "No," he ordered strongly.

The man looked him over. He was a gorgeous man, too delicate in frame to be handsome. His skin was pale as though it hadn't seen sunlight, his hair dark as night, his eyes a crystal blue that, at the moment at least, matched Thomas's eyes.

"And what, child, are you doing on these streets so late at night?" the man asked in an enthralling voice.

"Let him go," Thomas ordered.

The man did not. "Send your parents here and I will allow him to go with them." There was a look in the man's eyes that said he knew this would not happen.

Thomas growled slightly which caused the man's eyes to twinkle in humor. "I'm his parents."

"Then you must both come with me."

"What are you?"

The man laughed. "_What_ am I? What an odd question."

"That you conveniently didn't answer," Thomas pointed out. But he'd seen the fangs when the man laughed and stated, "You're a vampire."

The man stopped laughing, looked down upon Thomas with blank eyes. His grip didn't loosen on Harry's wrist. "No one believes in vampires anymore, child."

"They do when they've met them before," Thomas responded. Why Harry had to decide to try pick pocketing here of all places … Thomas had told him he would handle everything but when he said no about dinner at a restaurant, Harry decided they obviously needed more money. Thomas had thought Harry accepted his words. Next time, if there was a next time, he would make sure to explain that it wasn't just the money. Two children alone in a restaurant so late would draw more attention than them alone anywhere else. Thomas sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to fight the vampire. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

The vampire smiled, flashing fangs. "You may try, child." As he started off, leading Harry by the wrist, he said, "My name is Patrick. What is yours?"

"Marcus," Thomas answered, with just the slightest hesitation. "And that's my brother, Frank."

"Well Marcus, Frank, I believe I will enjoy growing to know you both. When you are older …" He left the rest unspoken.

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Several months later, with a new stash of cash and much more confidence in his ability to manage, Thomas woke Harry in the middle of the day. "Time to go, Har," he said.

Harry turned over, yawning. "Go where?"

Thomas shrugged. "Wherever. Patrick's been good to us but it's still … I'm not sure what … or rather _when_ he has plans for our futures and I sure didn't leave the man to follow someone else. You coming or not?"

"'Course I'm coming, Thomas," Harry replied, jumping quickly out of bed and dressing. He smirked as he saw his already packed bags; he slung them over his shoulder without comment.

Thomas moved to get his bags and noticed a note laying on top. Frowning, he unfolded it and read:

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'Marcus',

I have seen you preparing to leave and have known you would soon be gone. Remember you can always return here to me when needed. I have known you were one I could not hold, there is still much living for you to do, though I know you feel dead. You will find your place, I believe. Call and let me know how you and your brother 'Frank' are doing. I am sure we will see each other again when you are ready to imagine something other than running. Take care of yourself, Tommy, don't forget yourself in your watching over Harry.

Patrick

Reading this, Thomas sighed. Neither he nor Harry ever told the man their names, calling each other Marcus and Frank without fail even when alone. However he knew, Thomas was simply glad he'd already decided to leave.

They once again played with the route, jumping stops on buses (Thomas was beginning to wonder if fires starting just off of bus stops was a common occurrence nationwide as this seemed to happen each time someone tried to stop them from taking off early), they also walked a good distance on several occasions until three states further east they boarded a plane for California, hoping to find a place to stay for awhile.

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Arriving in LA, Thomas left Harry at their motel room, rented again by the 'father' over the internet, and made his way to a local internet cafe where he spent the better part of the evening surfing the net, finding where to go and who to be. A small town some distance away drew his attention strongly. Reading more about it, he found one way he was sure he could make a little money to support that which he'd taken when they left. He decided to make it their next and hopefully last stop for some time. The decision made, he spent a few hours setting the groundwork for their appearance, a history for who they would be. He barely managed to finish up before the staff of the cafe were running him off.

He found a local chop shop and stole one of their stolen cars, took advantage of all the equipment being there to make it quasi-legal, returned to the motel to pick up Harry, where they loaded their belongings into the car and drove off to what would be home for -- well, for a little while at least.

The people in the town shouldn't be able to place where they were from. Over the past few months, he'd worked on learning to control when he allowed the accent through. Harry still had the same way of talking, or not talking, as he'd had when they first met. Everything should go fine.

Hopefully, Seetha would never think to look there.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	3. Calm Before The Storm

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CHAPTER 3 -- CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Thomas sat on his bed, in his small efficiency apartment on the bay side of town. He felt comfortable, almost even safe in this little town, despite the headlines he'd read. Pulling out the new journal he'd purchased while shopping, he stared at it for a long moment. He wasn't sure why he'd bought the thing or why he was actually thinking of writing in it like this, but ... Maybe that pastor's words touched him more than he thought; more than he wanted to admit. He found it hard enough to admit he cared for Harry, let alone that he let someone else get to him. It was dangerous, he knew, allowing anyone within his walls.

Shaking his head, he picked up his pen -- one that wrote in green ink -- and began to write, in French.

Dear Journal,

I don't know why I'm doing this, I really can't see what good it'll do. But I'm gonna try it. Pastor O'Malley really got to me, I guess. What did he think he was doing, anyway? Did he think he was telling me something I didn't know, telling me my life was on the wrong track? Every track in this good for nothing life is wrong. Or is it? Can I really find something good in this world? Someplace they won't ...

No. I'm not writing about that crap. O'Malley's wrong on that one, talking, or writing, or whatever is never going to help with that. It's just ... It won't.

I really did it, I left my life behind and took off, searching for a new way to be -- with Harry in tow. And I'm going to find it, I'm going to be a new man. They can't control me anymore. Really, how hard can it be to take care of myself and Harry and pretend that we're totally okay and normal and all? Not dreaming too big here am I?

So here I am, a small town far from all those guys. A new town, a new life, a new name. Well almost a new name, it was hard answering to Marcus all that time. So still Thomas but never again ... Well, I'm Thomas Oliver now. Tom. Tommy. Yeah, that's who I am. And I'm staying here forever. Or until Seetha locates us here and we have to run again. But hey, what's life without a little mind-numbing, gut-wrenching fear, right?

But anyway. I'm introducing Tommy Oliver to the town in a few days. I entered this martial arts competition. I know it's not really fair to these small towners what with the life I've lived, the training I've received. And I know it's part of what I was running from. But it's not like that. It's a charity thing, the proceeds going to help orphans and runaways. Kinda like us, huh? Well anyway, there's a pretty good sized cash prize for the winner. It'll help with rent, food, stuff like that. Keep me from having to do other stuff for money. It'll be cool.

I set Harry up with ID too and he's agreed to going to school. Seemed excited about it, really. I think he's been before and has good memories. Not that I'll ask or anything, the past is that and best left alone. Anyway he's Harry Oliver and I listed us in the records as brothers, him a year younger than me. Though honestly I think we're probably the same age, I don't really know what that is so why worry about it? He's smaller and I'll definitely be watching out for him like those stories on the internet said big brothers are supposed to do. I'm worried about that, really. Taking care of him. It'll mean more time … doing things I don't want to but … I couldn't leave him to Seetha. He's really the reason I left now.

He insists on helping out around here, cleaning, cooking, stuff like that. He's really good at it. He doesn't like to go out and I don't blame him so I take care of the money thing. It's how I want it anyway. The kid's so … I've dealt with it, he's still somehow so freaking innocent. He won't be coming to the tournament because of the crowds, you know, which is for the best. He'll be here, safe, while I'm fighting and couldn't watch out for him while in the cage. Uh, ring, I mean. It's legal tournament fighting, free.

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Dear Journal,

I've been practicing at the local youth hangout, the Youth Center and Juice Bar, run by a man named Ernie. A nice guy, really. I think. I've been wrong about that kinda stuff a lot really but it's different here. I think. I hope.

Anyway, I've been down there every night since I arrived -- training and watching others train. There's this one guy that seems really good. He has the moves down anyway, I haven't seen him actually fight anyone. Or spar as they call it. Fighting without meaning for anyone to actually be hurt.

I think they called him Jason. 'They' being his four friends. They're kinda weird. Not in a bad way or anything, just different. They're all color coded. They're down at the juice bar as much as me and they always wear the same colors. Red, blue, yellow, black, and pink. (Okay, so I seem to have bought mostly green and white for my own wardrobe but I do vary it some. They don't.) I get the strangest impression that this means something to them, you know. It's ... I don't know. It's not like gang colors 'cause they're really close and they are most definitely wearing different colors. But it's like this difference is what brings them together, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, they seem nice and the pink one's really cute. Especially when she puts on her leotard and gets up on that balance beam ... It's not like I'd ever go up to her or anything, just kinda watch. There's no way she would ever want anyone like me. She's kind and sweet and just … I don't know. Innocent. She probably has her pick of the boys in town and she and Jason (the red one) seem really close.

It's better to keep that distance. Too many secrets; if someone gets close, it'll just mean I have to tell more lies. Bad enough I let myself close to Harry.

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Tommy sat the journal aside and lay down … and found he just couldn't sleep yet. Finally he gave up and decided to get something to drink. Of course, when he went to the kitchen, across the room, the faucet wasn't working again and neither would the bathroom faucet.

With a shrug and taking care not to wake Harry, he slipped his workout clothes back on, grabbed his key and some change he'd gathered off the beach and took off for the store. He decided to make a jog of it, see if that might help him tire enough to actually sleep.

As he came around the back, he noticed only one car at the gas pumps to the side of the store and one idling just around the other side of the building. _Good,_ he thought. The less people around, the better, as far as the young runaway escapee was concerned.

Approaching the door, Tommy saw a masked man holding a gun on the cashier station and he almost just turned around and left. Just before he could leave, the cashier moved just right, handing over a sack that Tommy assumed held money, and Tommy could now see who was working tonight. It was Brian, the man who had gone out of his way to befriend Tommy and Harry since they'd started frequenting the place.

Cursing himself for a fool, Tommy slipped around back, shimmied open the window in the employee's restroom, and crept in behind the robber. He could hear the thief demanding more but anyone with half a brain knew these places didn't have much ready cash on hand.

As Tommy moved in, the thief pulled the trigger, shot Brian. In the after echo of the shot, both Tommy and the robber heard something shatter as a glass bottle dropped to the floor from the only other late night customer's hands.

The shooter turned to the woman, his finger twitched towards the trigger -- Tommy tackled him, knocking the gun from his hands. The following fight was short but intense, and ended with Tommy knocking the robber unconscious with a pressure point on the back of the neck.

"Is he …" the woman began, her voice shaky.

Tommy looked at her with light blue eyes. "He'll live. Phone's in the office there, will you call help?" he asked as he rushed to Brian's side.

The woman called 911, shakily explained what had happened, introduced herself as Angelic Applebee, then returned to the main area. She glanced at the robber, checking to confirm he wasn't waking up, then moved towards Tommy and Brian.

She found Tommy kneeling beside Brian, Tommy's long sleeved over-shirt removed and being pressed into the wound to staunch the blood. She almost fainted at his scars so vividly showcased under the harsh lighting of the store.

"See if you can find some clean cloths, please," Tommy said, without turning her way. She hadn't realized she'd made a sound or done anything to let him know she was back. "My shirt's kinda sweaty, it's not the best thing to be using here."

She hurriedly looked around, found some buffing towels with the automotive supplies, and brought them to the child. He quickly traded them out for his shirt. He met her eyes, started to say something, then noticed her noticing his scars. His azure gaze dropped in shame and he quietly asked, "You think he'd mind if I borrowed his jacket there?" Tommy nodded his head towards the windbreaker casually thrown over the chair in the office.

"What happened?" she asked of the scars. Tommy just shook his head. He was shivering, she noticed. His tank top shirt was moist with sweat and it was late enough the temperature was slightly cool. She walked into the office, checked to see if the windbreaker had anything in it's pockets, then brought it to the boy. He slipped it on as she held it for him, one hand always holding the pressure on the man's wound.

Finally, after what seemed like forever they heard the sirens and moments later the wounded store keeper was being loaded into an ambulance, the masked burglar into another, with a police escort, and Angelic Applebee and the boy were being questioned by the police. The officers had watched the surveillance video which showed the whole thing while the EMS were there asking their questions.

Tommy was doing fine with the questioning until the detective mentioned testifying in the court case.

"Testify?" Tommy said loud enough everyone in the store heard, over the sounds of the police gathering evidence.

The woman, who was being questioned on the other side of the store by the doors, stopped speaking and looked over at this. The boy sounded terrified as he hadn't throughout the whole incident, she thought. She realized the boy had decided to leave on that, when he almost ran into her and Detective Everest. He stopped frozen at the blocked door.

"Thomas," Detective McMillian began but the boy flinched visibly at this and he immediately softened his voice, started again, "Tommy, it's okay. We won't force you to testify. It would help to have you there but we still have a lot of evidence without it. Relax, Tommy. It's okay." As the boy finally started to relax again, he asked, "How old are you, Tommy?"

He hesitated, thinking back on what he put in the records he'd typed, then quietly answered, "Nine."

The two detectives shared a look. At nine, they most definitely couldn't force the boy to testify. McMillian continued, "Where are your parents? Why are you out alone this late?"

"My parents worked late today and I was practicing for a martial arts tournament tomorrow and went to get a bottled water but we were out. So I ran up here. -- It's before curfew," Tommy added softly.

"Where do your parents work? I'll call them and …"

"You can't. They work for LAM." Tommy just hoped no one here had a connection to LAM or this lie would be short lived.

McMillian fell silent at this, as everyone knew you couldn't contact anyone with LAM. The CIA was more likely to admit someone's existence than LAM.

"Can I go? If I hurry, I can still be home before curfew. I'll tell 'em what happened, ask them what they think I should do, and I have your number. We can call you." He looked upon them with innocent blue eyes, and the detective nodded.

"I can take you home …"

Tommy shook his head. "We haven't found our own place here so we're using one of LAM's houses. Can't take anyone there without permission. But it's not far, I'll be fine."

"Please call, Tommy."

Tommy nodded. "I'll bring this jacket back tomorrow morning, I promise," he said as he left. He took the long way home, just to make sure no one followed. And one of the officers did try to follow him but since Tommy was small enough to take a 'shortcut' through a couple industrial buildings built basically on top of each other that no adult could begin to squeeze through, he lost the officer easily.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	4. Tournament

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CHAPTER 4 -- TOURNAMENT

A young man in a dark green and white gi quietly entered the crowded Youth Center and made his way to the booth where the judges sat. The first man looked the boy up and down then said to the man beside him, "Here's an arrogant one."

The young man heard the words but didn't react. Instead he simply signed his name on the sheet, taking several minutes to list his rank and styles, took the rules the third man offered him, and faded off into the crowd.

"Thomas Oliver," the second man read the name. It wasn't anymore familiar than the boy's face. From what he'd seen of the boy, he'd expected his name to be known. "You might be in for a surprise, Pete. I've been watching him practice."

Pete looked over the sheet, reading the rest of Thomas Oliver's information. "Third black in Karate, second black in Kung fu specializing in Mantis, and others? Chris, he didn't even list all his forms."

"Not required to list anything below brown level in the advanced competition. Jason Scot lists the same way," the third man pointed out. "You might try to be less … insulting in your wording when the kids are standing here. You know how that can come back to bite you in the butt."

"You should watch your own words, Gary," Pete responded. "Such language."

Gary shook his head in exasperation, and turned to greet the next contestant with a smile.

When the table cleared again for a moment, Chris commented, "It'll be interesting to see how he does against Jason Scot."

"Who?"

"Thomas Oliver." He motioned to where the young man was doing a light warm-up off to the side, almost out of sight. Pete and Gary followed his motion and missed the next contestant's arrival at the booth for staring at Thomas.

"Won't it though," Pete said, his tone contemplative.

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Near the end of the day, a young man dressed in a solid red gi was doing a light warm up as he prepared for his turn in the tournament. After years of practice, not to mention the life and death pressure of leading the Rangers these last few months, Jason Scot was more than confident he would win this competition. So confident in fact that he wasn't even paying attention to the other competitors.

"He's cute."

Jason rolled his eyes at that. Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, thought most guys were cute.

"I know. I've been watching him since he came in. I wouldn't mind getting close to him." The two girls giggled.

This did get Jason's attention. Trini Kwan was not one to be ogling the guys. Jason thought it odd that the usually dignified Yellow Ranger would even think such a thing, let alone say it. But he still didn't look up from his training.

Zachary Taylor walked up, his eyes scanning the crowd even as his manner seemed open and relaxed. And his eyes settled on one surprise. "Man," he breathed. "That guy might give Jas some real competition."

This did get Jason to stop. He walked over to where his friends and teammates stood watching someone. As he approached, Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger and genius of the team, joined them.

"What has everyone so distracted?" Jason asked, his tone casual.

"Him," Kim, Trini, and Zack answered as one and pointed to where a guy that looked around their age dressed in dark green and white was just finishing up a kata with the ritual bow.

Jason watched as the guy knelt beside his green duffle bag and removed a water bottle. "What's the big deal? The kid looks cocky. I mean, I don't know him and he's wearing green and white."

"You're wearing red," Kim commented. Each of the Rangers were wearing their colors though only Jason was entered in this competition.

"I've earned it."

At that moment, Gary Pointsman from the judges' panel called, "Final match -- last year's champion, Jason Lee Scot against Thomas Oliver."

As Jason stepped forward, his eyes scanning for this 'Thomas Oliver'. He'd never heard the name before and he was sure he knew everyone in the arts anywhere near Angel Grove. Seeing the guy in green and white that his friends had been making such a big deal over, he found himself surprised that someone so obviously cocky made it this far.

Ignoring the other boy for the moment, Jason took the time to nod to a few friends and offer his parents and his teammates' parents a smile.

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Tommy walked to the ring without a sideways glance. Stepping into the ring, he bowed first to the judges then to his current opponent. Last year's champion, a very sure of himself small town boy. Tommy hoped the boy was as good as he obviously thought he was and would actually give Tommy some competition. It was the boy he'd been watching practicing so Tommy knew the boy had the techniques down but he hadn't seen him in an actual fight. Or sparring, as they call it here. There was a big difference between good in practice and good at contact.

Just before the match began, two boys and two girls made their way to the edge of the ring -- the ones _always_ with this Jason Scot. The girl in pink caught Tommy's cerulean eyes and waved. Tommy hesitated for a second, unsure what to think of the girl he'd been watching acknowledging him, but then simply smiled and turned to meet his opponent as the match began.

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"He smiled at me! He smiled at me!" Kim said, all but hopping in excitement.

"We saw," Zack commented, his eyes laughing. "So have you noticed yet that he's better than Jason?"

"What!" Kim turned back to the ring and saw Zack's words were true. Thomas Oliver was definitely the better fighter, the faster fighter, but Jason had the advantage in strength and weight.

"They're tied," Trini stated before Kim could ask. As she spoke, Thomas Oliver received another point. "Okay, change that. Thomas is ahead."

"Wow!" Zack exclaimed, excited. The four friends began cheering the competition in earnest.

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Jason came over to the side of the ring where his teammates were and grabbed a drink of water while the judges conferred on where to go from here.

"So, bored this time?" he asked knowingly. The team always came to support him but he knew they didn't tend to pay any real attention to the matches as he always won even before they became the Power Rangers. Them bringing their homework with them tended to give away their lack of real interest.

Trini was looking passed him though. "No one's here with him."

Jason turned and looked. It seemed she was right, his definitely not so cocky opponent was simply sitting at the side of the ring, patiently waiting the judges' decision, and not one person neared him.

Turning back to his friends, Jason shrugged. "He's new in town. You think the judges will call the match or continue?" Jason knew what the Martial Arts Association would say but Angel Grove was a small town, the local judges sometimes went by their own rules in such cases. Jason personally hoped they would let them continue. He wouldn't mind the tie but he was enjoying himself too much to be ready for it to end. He couldn't think of the last time he enjoyed sparring this much.

"I don't know. Even if he'd just moved and hadn't made any friends yet, wouldn't you think his parents should be over there right now?" While it hadn't actually been stated, they knew Thomas must now live in Angel Grove, for this competition is open only to residents.

Gary Pointsman stood and called the two competitors over. "It is the decision of this panel to call the match, and the tournament, as a draw. Congratulations, boys, you tied. We can get another trophy and the monetary prize will be split evenly."

"Give my part to the children's home," Jason stated.

Gary nodded, not at all surprised.

"The trophy doesn't matter," Thomas said softly. Something in his tone caused Jason to look over at him. Jason found himself wondering if Thomas would be in trouble for not winning the full prize money. "He can have it."

"Just leave the trophy here, you can put both our names on it," Jason suggested.

Gary looked to Thomas, who simply shrugged, then said, "I'll see it done, boys. Now if you'll step up into the ring, we can announce to these people our champions."

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As soon as Gary announced the tie, Trini, Billy, Kim and Zack rushed into the ring and surrounded Jason and Tommy in excited congratulations.

Tommy, assuming they were there for Jason alone, started to make his way out of the ring.

"So Thomas," Jason said, turning to him before he could leave. "You want to join us in the park for the celebration picnic?"

Tommy smiled brilliantly, astonishment shining in his green turquoise eyes. But thought caught up to him and the smile quickly faded. "Thanks, but ... I can't. I have to … I should get home before I'm too late."

Jason wondered what he didn't say, what he started to say. He almost asked him if he was going to get in trouble for coming home with less than the full prize but Thomas had already turned from them. Then Thomas turned back and said in a shy tone, "I enjoyed the match though."

"Me too. Maybe we can spar again sometime, Thomas."

Tommy hesitated. "Tommy."

"Tommy. I'm Jason, this is Zack, Trini, Billy and Kim."

After the chorus of hi's, Tommy asked, "You study together?"

"Uh, sorta. Why?"

"You all move like fighters, and way in sync with each other." He shrugged. "I should go." He took three steps before turning to them again. "Maybe I'll see you around," he added, meeting Jason's eyes with his sapphire gaze, flashing a smile before turning and leaving.

Jason stood unmoving, watching as Tommy Oliver walked through the crowd that seemed almost to unconsciously part for him, then walked out the door, disappearing from sight. His friends and teammates, their families, the low roar of the crowd all seemed to disappear as he watched the other leaving. Something told him that man could easily become the most important person in his life, if he'd allow it.

"JASON!!"

Jason jumped slightly, turned to his friends with a slightly exasperated expression.

"Come _on_, man," Zack said. "You're staring after the guy even more than Kimmy."

"Hey!" Kim complained, giving Zack's shoulder a slight push.

Jason grinned. "Yeah, I'm nowhere near **_that bad_. **-- Just thinking 'bout next match. I'll win that one." He winked and led the way outside. They had a picnic to get on with.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	5. Abducted

**CHAPTER 5 -- ABDUCTED**

Dear Journal:

A problem arose with my school enrollment. After the tournament, I rewrote my record to put myself in the 7th grade, Jason's grade, and who would end up being my homeroom teacher but Mrs. Angelic Applebee. The woman from the store I sorta stopped from being shot, the woman that saw my scars, knows I'm younger than any of the others, even if I did name a year older than I think I am. She didn't say anything though I could see from how she was looking at me she was thinking it. Don't know how long she'll stay quiet.

Anyway, I actually talked to the girl, Kimberly. Two jerks from school were hitting on her, and as she obviously didn't want it, I stepped in. She invited me to hang out after school, I came to tell Harry before heading out.

I should have said no, it's too dangerous letting anyone close. They can hurt you too easily and I have too many secrets they could learn. I don't know why I said yes.

I didn't see Jason today. That was kinda disappointing.

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Walking to the Youth Center, Tommy smiled softly to himself, remembering the day. He'd started school and almost first thing, he ran across Kimberly Hart, the girl in pink that smiled at him, one of them that kept inviting him to things every time they saw him. A couple boys were messing with her, hitting on her, and she was so obviously not wanting it, he'd reacted without thought and stepped into the situation. The two boys ran off, maybe having recognized him from the Martial Arts Expo and … the most amazing thing happened. Tommy got a date with Kim. He still wasn't really sure how this happened except she basically asked him out.

Turning the corner into the alley behind the Youth Center, Tommy hesitated at the side entrance, seeing Kim sitting with her friends. Unsure of what she'd planned, he took a moment to decide whether or not to enter. That was a large group to just walk over to them. If they meant to cause him harm, it would be all too easily accomplished, seeing as Jason was a close match for him and the others all moved like fighters as well. But they didn't _seem_ to want to cause harm. They _seemed_ safe. Just as he convinced himself to go ahead, he was pulled from his thoughts as several forms appeared out of nowhere, surrounding him.

He fought with all his skill and every bit of survival instinct he had. But no matter how many of the gray drone type creatures he took down, there was always more to take their place. He was simply overrun.

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Tommy looked around as his vision cleared. The moment he saw Earth as a blue ball in the sky through the balcony window, he knew he was in deep trouble. Feeling a grip on his arm spin him around, he soon found himself face to face with Rita Repulsa, moon witch and personal enemy of the Power Rangers. Somehow, from the Rangers' descriptions of her on the news stories he'd caught, he'd expected her to be uglier. As it was, her style of dress wasn't quite enough to hide the fair features underneath. Though, as he looked into her eyes, he decided the Rangers' description really was fitting.

"Oh, a new toy," Rita squealed.

"Mistress Rita," the monkey like goon holding his arm said in a grave tone. Goldar, Tommy believed he was called, though he didn't seem as ugly as the Rangers described either. Thinking about it, Tommy decided the Rangers must be describing spirit, something few people seemed capable of doing. Goldar continued; "The boy fits."

"Not until I'm convinced he's the one," she spat. She stalked down and circled him. "His color choice is ... contradictory. Though he does have the most beautiful dark green eyes. Tell me why you chose him."

Scorpina, the scorpion woman, stated, "He tied the Red Ranger in a martial arts competition. If it'd been fair, he would have won. Only Jason's connection to the Power gave him enough edge to tie the boy. Besides," she purred, "he's delicious."

Tommy listened to them. _Jason is a Power Ranger. His friends, color coded, they're the Rangers. These are their enemies, they're talking about my fighting skills. They want to use me against them._

Rita smiled vilely. "We shall see." She stopped in front of him and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at her. Leaning in, she kissed him roughly on the lips.

Tommy stepped back at this assault, drew a dagger from his belt and stabbed it into Goldar's wrist where he held him. Goldar released his grip in pain and Tommy threw himself back from them, backed into a wall, and held the dagger at the ready before him.

Rita laughed and motioned for Goldar to stand down from his vengeful stance. "Foolish boy, you cannot hope to stand against us. You're on the moon, boy, where do you think you could go to get away from me?"

Tommy looked at her, a slight smirk touching his lips, as he flipped the dagger around and plunged it towards his heart. _I won't miss anything, _he thought to himself.

At the last possible instant, Scorpina used her tail to knock the dagger from Tommy's grip and fling it across the room. Stalking over, she took control of the boy again and quickly checked him for weapons. After removing another dagger, several throwing blades, and a short sword hidden at his back, she brought him before Rita again.

"Convinced, Mistress?" Scorpina asked with a smug expression.

"Yes. He's exactly what I'm looking for. Chain him in the dungeon as I prepare."

"Yes, Mistress."

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Tommy walked in silence beside Scorpina as she pulled him through corridor after corridor. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye, he knew. Taking this and her earlier words into consideration, he came up with a plan that just might get him away. The only problem was it was just about the last thing he wanted to do. Waiting around to be used against Jason and Kim and their friends was a worse idea though.

Hiding his true feelings, he let her see him check her out appreciatively, a small grin on his lips.

Scorpina stopped short of the dungeon and pressed Tommy against the wall, looking into his midnight green eyes. "Is there a reason you keep staring at me?" she demanded.

"From the Rangers description of you on the news, I would've thought you'd be ugly," he stated matter-of-fact. He shrugged lightly, the most movement Scorpina's hold on his arms would allow. "They must be blind."

Her grip loosened slightly and she purred, "You like what you see?"

"I'm not blind," he said in that voice that could drive women the universe over crazy. As Scorpina's grip loosened some more, he slipped one hand free and reached up and brushed back a strand of hair that escaped her armor's hold, letting his touch linger over her cheek for just the right amount of time. "Know what I want to do?"

"What?" she breathed in a husky voice. Her hand was cupping Tommy's cheek. He leaned in close and breathed a suggestion in her ear.

"I ..." She sighed, almost melting against him, completely lost to his seduction. "Rita will be here soon."

"I know a place."

She stepped back and Tommy knew he had her. "I can't take you to Earth."

Tommy smiled charmingly. "It's the middle of nowhere, far from anyone. Even if I did run, where would I go?" He sauntered over to her and leaned himself against her. In a whispered breath, he said, "Come on, love. What could it hurt?"

Scorpina wrapped her arms tight around him and breathed, "Think of the place, Tommy. One place and keep it in mind." When he nodded, she teleported them away.

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As the glare from the teleport faded, Tommy quickly glanced around to confirm that they were indeed at the opening of the cave he'd found one night while not sleeping. It wasn't ideal but it was the best he could think of on such short notice.

Turning his attention back to the scorpion warrior woman holding him, he leaned into her hold and kissed her hard. She responded with a growl of delight and a step forward, pressing Tommy's back hard into the canyon wall. Tommy moaned from the pain on the just healing wounds, let it go until she was lost, her eyes closed in passion.

He took a large stone in his hands and quickly threw himself up to his feet, slamming the stone into her head with all his strength behind it. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

He didn't wait to see if she was still conscious, or even alive. He turned and ran as fast as he could into the cave, trusting his feet to lead him through the twists and turns of the pitch dark cave safely. He jumped where he remembered the cave floor fell off into a chasm so deep he hadn't even heard anything hit ground. As he landed, he felt one foot slip back into the hole and he quickly latched onto the ground and pulled himself away from the abyss, stood and started running again.

When he reached the point where he remembered a small crack in the wall splitting into an even smaller cave, he came to a stop and felt along the wall until he found the opening.

He scrambled into the tight space as quickly as he could, only barely able to make the turn into the new crawl space cave. As he entered the crawl space and began his long crawl down into the depths of the mountain, he heard Scorpina cursing him followed by a loud crash of rock breaking. Fighting to steady his breath and saying a prayer that she was not going to bring the mountain crashing down on top of him, he crawled away as fast as he could.

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_Light, _Tommy thought, unsure whether to be relieved or worried about reaching the end of the cave. He wondered where it exited as he'd never gone so far through it before. As he crawled the rest of the way over to the exit, he let out a small moan of despair. "And me without my climbing gear," he murmured as he slowly moved to stand on the six inch ledge before the near straight drop of over eight stories. Looking up, he saw it was also nearly straight up, though maybe not quite as far. "Up or down?" he wondered.

Shielding his eyes from the sun, he scanned for any hand and foot holds, but found them lacking. No one in their right mind would try to climb from here without full climbing gear. "Just standing here's not an option," he said as he turned and began slowly picking his way up the cliff side.

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Several agonizing hours later, his hand found the top of the cliff side. Searching for purchase, his arm was suddenly trapped within a strong grip. Looking up, he saw the gold clad warrior, Goldar, holding his arm, pulling him up. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to fight just yet.

The moment he was on solid ground, he threw himself to the ground, trying to break the alien warrior's grip. But Goldar was expecting him to fight and Tommy understandably was beyond tired. It didn't take much for Goldar to teleport them both back to the moon.

The last thing Tommy saw before he was thrown in a cell to await his fate was Scorpina being sent off in disgrace for her failure.

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continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	6. A Greater Darkness

****

CHAPTER 6 -- A GREATER DARKNESS

The Green Ranger teleported into a dark corner of the Command Centre undetected. He stayed silent and still as he listened to Zordon's five Rangers talking. It seemed the Pink Ranger was down because her new crush didn't show at the Youth Center like he'd said he would. The Green Ranger smirked darkly at this as he waited.

He remained unmoving as they finally teleported out for the night, as Alpha went off to recharge, until Zordon was … well he wasn't sure what Zordon was doing. Meditating or maybe sleeping.

Quick and silent, he made his way to the control panels. Almost immediately, he had hacked in. Still undetected. Searching the files, he found the communication channel that allowed Zordon to appear in this place. Less than a minute later, the connection was severed. The Green Ranger then programmed a virus into the systems, erased all records of his presence, and teleported out.

Tommy walked into the one room apartment he and Harry shared, saw Harry was already asleep. He prepared for bed in the dark, staying silent so as not to disturb the other boy.

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Harry woke early the next morning but Tommy was already gone. Harry dressed and went to the kitchen counter to see if Tommy left a note. He had. It did nothing to relieve Harry's unease.

__

H,

it said. _There's bread and milk for breakfast. That church down the block's serving lunch and dinner if you can survive sitting through the service. I have more important things to be doing. Don't wait up. -- T_

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"Tommy!" Jason called as he saw the boy enter Angel Grove Park. Tommy stopped between a couple families enjoying picnics and he waited for the other to catch up with him.

"Hi. Jason, right?" Tommy greeted with a smile. A small boy, maybe four or five years old, almost ran into him. Tommy caught him as he stumbled. "Careful there, little one," he said. The boy smiled shyly and rushed back to his parents.

"That's right," Jason said. "That was a good match."

"Yeah."

"So you want to get together sometime, spar some more?"

Tommy smirked. "I bet we'll spend a lot of time _sparring_."

Jason wasn't sure what to make of the wording but smiled anyway. "Doing anything right now?"

Tommy glanced around the park, currently full of families enjoying the end of the weekend. Full of little children. "Now's not a good time. Gotta get my brother," he lied.

"How about after school tomorrow then? We can just meet at the Youth Center."

"Works for me."

"I'll see you then." Jason watched at Tommy continued on his way. Something felt off about that whole conversation but he couldn't put a finger on just what it was. After a moment he simply shrugged it off and headed to Billy's.

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Jason walked into Billy's garage lab and stopped in shock. "Hey man, is there a reason you're trashing your lab?"

"Something is monumentally wrong," Billy informs him. "I finished the molecular scanners and attempted to contact Zordon to inform him however I was unable to establish any sort of contact."

Jason, who had stopped listening the moment the word molecular entered the conversation, looked around for Trini.

"Zordon and Alpha aren't answering," Trini restated. She was well used to them looking to her to understand Billy. While she didn't mind translating, she knew that if they'd just listen they'd understand at least most of what the Blue genius said. "The automatic systems aren't responding either. We need to get to the Command Centre and see what's going on."

"What's going on?" Kim asked as she and Zack walked in to hear just the end of Trini's sentence.

"We're going to the Command Centre," Jason informed. As one, the five Power Rangers teleported out.

"Why's everything so dark?" Kim asked. Not even the emergency lighting was on.

"I don't know," Trini said. "Zordon?! Alpha?!"

Zack said, "I'll be right back." He teleported out.

Billy pulled out a flashlight and made his way to the control panels. The others followed close behind. Trini held the light for him while he worked. "The software is fried. Someone uploaded a virus…" He broke off as Zack returned with a couple camping lanterns.

"How?" Trini questioned. "The outer security should have kept anything out or at the least set off the alarms and called us."

"It was entered from inside. I don't know how, the alarms should have sounded at the presence of any non Ranger. Zordon's connection is terminated, we'll have to reestablish contact once the systems are back online. Where's Alpha?" Billy asked. "I need his help."

"I'll find him." Trini took one of the lanterns and she and Zack went in search of the little robot.

"Whoever did this knew what they were doing," Billy murmured. "It'll take forever to clear this out and reboot."

"Concentrate on scanners first," Jason suggested. "As much as we need Zordon here, we need to know when Rita's attacking and where even more."

"Agreed. Until that is restored, might I suggest one of us stay tuned into the local media network at all times?"

Jason nodded in agreement. "I'll go. Everyone stay in contact. We don't need anymore surprises."

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The news was not good. The only good news in it, as far as Jason was concerned, is the attack seemed to have just started. He spoke into his wrist communicator. "Guys."

'We're here, Jason,' Zack's voice answered.

"Goldar and putties are attacking in the park. Morph and meet me there."

Jason morphed and teleported to the park, the others arriving at almost the same moment. They quickly took out the putties, using them to release some of the stress the attack on the Command Centre left them with. With the putties taken out, they focused on Goldar and in the majority, they quickly put him on the defensive.

Goldar teleported out and they started to relax. Clapping sounded behind them, they turned and found a single man behind them. He was dressed in Ranger armor just like them but everything in his stance said he was no ally of theirs.

"Congratulations, I'm impressed," the Green Ranger drawled. "Five of you together can handle a few grunts. You must be _so_ proud."

"Who are you?" Kim demanded.

The Green Ranger stepped closer to them. "Who am I? My dear Kimberly, I'll tell you who I am." He stepped closer to her, almost touching, and breathed softly, "I'm your worst nightmare."

Kim angrily pushed him and he took a step back, allowing her to move him this once. He laughed.

"You're a Power Ranger and you work for Rita?" Trini questioned. "That's just wrong."

"She is my Empress and soon she _will _rule this world," Green Ranger responded.

"Over my dead body," Jason growled.

They could hear the smirk in his voice as the Green Ranger responded, "That is the idea." He grabbed Kimberly's arm. "Though not necessarily _all_ of you. You, little Kimberly, look good with me. Join us and you may live."

"Ew gross!" Kim responded. "Like I'd ever want someone evil! Don't touch me!" She pulled on her arm but he didn't release her.

"Let her go, Green Ranger," Jason ordered.

"Make me," Green Ranger said. Jason attacked, the Green Ranger lost his grip on the Pink Ranger as he defended himself. He just defended himself for a moment, getting a feel for the Red Ranger's strengths and weaknesses. Just as he'd noticed in the tournament, Jason used his physical strength and size to his advantage but he wasn't quite as skilled at the arts as Tommy nor was he as fast. As Rangers, they weren't so far off each other in physical strength. Jason was also obviously used to tournaments while Tommy was used to survival.

Jason wasn't ready when Green Ranger made his move. Their fight ended with one offensive move on Tommy's part. Jason was down and out, and the four remaining Rangers quickly moved between their leader and this new enemy. Just as quickly, the Green Ranger took each of the others down.

Green Ranger knelt beside the fallen Pink Ranger, brushed his gloved hand down her arm. "Think about it, Kimberly. We'd be good together."

"I don't have to think about anything," she spat, though it caused her to wince in pain. "I'd never want someone like _you_."

His hand rested on her throat. "They you will die." He stood. "Just not today." He teleported off.

Zack managed to stand, made his way to Kim's side. "You okay?"

"I'll live." _Today at least_, she added in her thoughts. "We better get everyone to the Command Centre."

Together, Zack and Kim teleported the others back to the Command Centre. Luckily, the others returned to consciousness not long afterwards.

"Damn," Jason breathed but refused to comment on the lost fight. Refused to speak aloud his fears, to question why this Green Ranger left them alive. "Billy, how are the repairs going?"

"I've restored Alpha however he has no memory of what took place. Unfortunately, it will be some time before any of the Command Centre systems are restored. Alpha and I believe we have mostly cleansed the system of the virus but it overwrote almost everything."

A heavy silence fell. Jason finally broke it. "I guess the Green Ranger is good with computers too."

Zack pointed out, "We don't know it was this Green Ranger that broke in."

"You think it was someone else the systems wouldn't read as an intruder that did it?" Jason returned. "'Cause last _I_ heard only a Power Ranger can enter this place without setting off like a million security measures. I can't see it being a coincidence that the Command Centre was taken out like this and an evil Green Ranger appeared."

"Okay, I admit he's the most likely suspect."

"It was him. I know it. And he's going to pay for this," Jason stated. He left unsaid that the main thing Jason wanted him to pay for was not the destruction of their base but rather Jason's too easy defeat at the other's hands.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	7. Obsessions

**CHAPTER 7 -- OBSESSIONS**

Tommy leaned against his locker and watched down the hallway as the five Power Rangers met at their lockers. They were sore, _obviously _very sore. None of them were laughing today or even smiling. Tommy smiled darkly to himself. Who would have thought he could effect them so much in just a little over a day?

It was easy though. Almost _too_ easy really. But that was alright, he'd take it slow, let the pressure build on them before taking them out. Make a show of it, make sure his accomplishments were talked about and remembered so Empress Rita would never see him as dispensable. Make sure Goldar and Scorpina (who returned almost as soon as Tommy was safely under the spell) could not take credit for Tommy's victory.

Tommy turned to his locker and pretended to be looking for something as Kimberly turned his way.

Kim saw Tommy at his locker and, as the others made their way to class, she approached him. "Tommy?" He ignored her. "Tommy?" He glanced at her then returned to his book. "So what happened to you the other day after school? I thought we were gonna meet."

"Something came up," he responded shortly, still not looking at her, still shifting books in his locker.

"Oh," she breathed. "You know I just got kinda worried."

He finally turned to face her, his bottle green eyes burning through her. "I'm a big boy, Kimberly. I don't need you to worry about me."

"Is something wrong? 'Cause you're totally acting like …"

"Like what?"

"Like you're upset with me?"

Tommy got right in her face. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might have other things on my mind? Newsflash Kimberly. You are not the center of everyone's universe."

"Well excuse me for living," she said, her face broken. Then angrily, "I just thought you kinda liked me, now I don't care. I'd never want to be with someone like you anyway." Kim turned and walked off, using all her willpower not to run.

Tommy watched her go then looked at the books in his hands. He stuffed them back in his locker and left the school.

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The Green Dragon Ranger, Rita's most prized dark warrior, sat in the corner of the Dark Dimension, hugging his knees to his chest, tears running unchecked down his cheeks. Goldar and Scorpina entered, laughing and joking about their most recent victory over the Power Brats. That is until they saw their youngest warrior sitting there looking so lost. They moved over and sat one on each side of him.

It was some time before he really became aware of their presence. He looked upon them with a weary expression in his forest green eyes.

"What is it?" Scorpina asked quietly. He was so young, she couldn't help but think. Eight Earth years, he'd said, admitting his true youth quite by accident when she'd seen what he did to survive his own world. A baby, newborn, really, by galactic standards. And abandoned by his own people. Knowing him, piecing together his story, she felt respect for his strength, and contempt for his world.

"I ..." Tommy shook his head. "I'm fine. Please, don't tell ..."

"We won't tell Rita," Goldar assured him. "If you tell us the truth."

"Your word?"

"My word."

"And mine," Scorpina seconded.

"It's stupid," Tommy stated, wiping the tears from his cheeks roughly. "It's just ... she said she'd never want someone like me."

Goldar and Scorpina shared a look over the boy's shoulders. "The Pink Ranger?" Goldar hazarded, having noticed the way the boy looked at the girl on occasions.

Tommy nodded. "I said it's stupid. It's just, when I first saw her, at that tournament, I thought she kinda liked me."

A long silence followed, heavy with guilt for Goldar and Scorpina. How could they tell this child that the girl he liked truly did like him, just not who they forced him be. Finally, Scorpina stated, "Tommy, little Dragon, it's not you she doesn't like. She a Power Ranger, her job is to stop us from succeeding in our mission. That's why she said what she did."

"She really won't join us, huh?"

"No, I don't think she will," Goldar stated, his tone sad.

Scorpina hugged him, offering him comfort, but he flinched in pain. "What is it?" she asked. "Were you injured in the battle?"

Tommy shook his head no. "It's nothing. Our mistress sends me home each night." He refused to explain beyond that.

Goldar and Scorpina shared a look over the young Ranger's shoulders. Tommy didn't have to say more, they'd been watching him, they knew enough to fill in the details.

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Tommy returned to school around lunch time, stopping by the office to drop off a note from his 'father' -- forged by Goldar -- saying he'd been out that morning for a doctor's appointment.

Jason caught up with him just outside the office. "Tommy, I've been looking all over for you."

"Had a doctor appointment," Tommy said. "Still looking forward to our sparring tonight."

"Yeah, about that. Something came up. It's sorta an emergency."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. How about a rain check?"

"Sure. I understand."

"Cool. I'll catch you later." Jason turned and walked off.

__

I'll catch you now.

Tommy pulled a teleport ray out of his pocket and fired it at Jason's retreating form, watched as Jason disappeared.

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"Where's Jason?" Kim asked as she joined the other Rangers. She'd assumed they would all be there when she arrived since she was late. Her gymnastics instructor kept her over time.

"I don't know," Zack answered. "It's not like him to be late. Not for Ranger business anyway."

Trini said, "As much as I hate to say it, right now we can't afford to worry about where he is. We need to concentrate on repairing the systems."

"Jason can take care of himself," Zack said.

"If he doesn't show soon…" Kim let her words hang.

Trini nodded. "Then we'll look for him."

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One moment Jason was walking down the school hall, the next thing he knew, he was within a cell in a Dark Dimension. Unable to find a way out, Jason tried his communicator. "Command Centre? Alpha, do you read me?" No response. "Anybody?"

"Your communicator won't work in here," Goldar said, announcing his presence. Scorpina stood at his side.

Jason tried to morph but that too was blocked. So when Goldar attacked, he fought without morphing. Goldar seemed to be playing with him though, never quite pressing his advantage. And Scorpina just stood back and watched, appearing almost bored. It reminded Jason in a strange way of how his friends watched his martial arts tournaments.

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An alarm sounded through the Command Centre. Trini said, "Good news, guys. The scanners are working again."

"Bad news," Billy added, "That evil Green Ranger is causing trouble in the warehouse district."

"We need Jason," Zack said.

"We'll have to go without him this time," Trini pointed out reasonably. "We can't wait."

"I'm worried," Kim said. "This isn't like Jason. What if he's hurt and needs our help?"

On the viewing globe, the Green Ranger looked around bored. A Mercedes turned down the road he stood on and Green Ranger fired a laser into the tire causing the car to wreck.

Zack winced at this. "Whatever it is, he'll have to take care of himself right now. Come on guys -- It's morphin' time!"

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____

continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	8. Truth Within The Lies

**CHAPTER 8 -- TRUTH WITHIN THE LIES WE'RE TOLD**

"Goldar," Scorpina said.

Goldar turned from the fight with the Red Ranger and walked over to where Scorpina lazed against the cell wall. Though he'd never say it aloud, Jason was grateful for this reprieve. He took this time to catch his breath, ignore his injuries, and eavesdrop on the two alien warriors.

Scorpina said, "Rita's sent the Green Ranger down again. I'm going to slip down and keep an eye on him, make sure the kid doesn't get in a bad situation. Normally I wouldn't worry but …"

Goldar laughed. "I know, Scorpina. I think he's fine so long as the Pink Ranger stays morphed."

"It's not funny, Goldar," she retorted. She glanced at the Red Ranger who quickly pretended he wasn't listening in. He didn't pretend it well as there was nothing else he could say he was doing. Scorpina smirked at his attempt. "Part of me wishes we'd never shown him to Rita."

Goldar just looked at her a moment. He'd seen her check on the Red Ranger and confirm he was eavesdropping. It was obvious she wanted the Ranger to hear this which meant that whatever she was planning was likely to get them both in trouble. But he went along. "I know but if we hadn't, _we_ wouldn't know the boy either."

"Yeah." She paused. "His attraction to the Pink Ranger weakens the spell. If the Sword of Darkness is destroyed he'll be free and I don't think he'll be very happy with us then."

_Powers, Scorpina, you're trying to get us killed,_ Goldar thought to himself. He sighed. "I know, love. Let's go watch over the kid together, I can always play with this toy later."

Goldar and Scorpina teleported out. Jason found himself alone in the Dark Dimension with much to think about.

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Goldar and Scorpina appeared on a building overlooking the battle between their Green Ranger and the four Power Rangers. It was quickly obvious to them that something was off -- Tommy was fighting three Rangers, the Pink Ranger couldn't get involved no matter what she tried.

Goldar and Scorpina shared a look. Goldar said, "I'll go distract Rita."

"I'll watch the kid," Scorpina responded.

Green Ranger's kick impacted into the Black Ranger's stomach, sending him flying back into a wall. He back-fisted the Blue Ranger across the face and followed with a kick to his knee. Billy fell, his knee dislocated, and the two girls immediately moved between him and Green Ranger. Tommy ignored Kim's presence and fought against Trini alone, keeping the Yellow Ranger between him and the Pink Ranger.

Scorpina teleported in beside the Green Ranger and took on the Pink Ranger without a word.

Black Ranger finally found his feet and quickly joined the girls. The three standing Rangers fought hard against Scorpina and the Green Ranger but they were losing. Anyone with any sense could see they were losing.

Zack noticed the wall he'd been knocked into earlier giving way, the building starting to collapse, and he called a warning to his teammates and grabbed Billy's arm to move him to safety. Then he saw the boy huddled against the side of the building and for just a moment, Zack froze.

Green Ranger's gaze followed the Black Ranger's and he too saw the child. Without thought, Tommy ran towards the falling building. He dove, caught the boy in his arms and teleported them both down the street.

The building fell. When the dirt and debris settled, Green Ranger was kneeling beside the scared child, Scorpina stood several buildings down watching Tommy with a worried gaze, and four Rangers stared at the Green Ranger and the boy in shock.

Then Kimberly ran over to the Green Ranger and the boy. "Is he okay?" she asked.

Tommy looked at her then the boy then back to her and gently pushed the boy towards her. "He's scared and has some scrapes and bruises and he's malnourished. Take him to the hospital." Then softly, "Get him a home."

Pink Ranger took the child in her arms. "Why did you help him?"

Tommy took several steps away before finally turning to her again. "Because I am a fool. And I've been there." He walked over to Scorpina and they teleported off together.

Kim looked to the other Rangers. "Everyone okay?"

Trini answered, "Worst injury is Blue's knee is dislocated but it can be fixed in the Command Centre."

"I'll take this boy to the hospital then meet you there."

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Scorpina and Green Ranger teleported into the throne room. Rita turned from Goldar as they appeared and said, "Look what you did, Goldar! You made me miss the end of the fight!" She demanded of Tommy, "Well? What happened?"

Tommy looked uncomfortable. "I had them Empress but …"

"They retreated," Scorpina cut in. "A building fell and our Green Ranger was hit by some debris so I thought it best to bring him here to take care of any wounds."

Rita laughed. "The Power Rangers retreated! We've destroyed their confidence and soon we'll destroy them all. Go, my Green Ranger. Let Scorpina fix your injuries then return to Earth to cover your identity."

Tommy bowed. "As you wish, my Empress."

As Tommy and Scorpina were leaving, Rita called out, "Do pay a visit to our prisoner soon. You are to have the pleasure of taking his life."

Tommy hesitated for just a second before bowing yet again. "You command and I obey, Empress."

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Billy looked up from where he sat working on the control panel as Kim teleported in. "What took so long?"

"I was in the hospital," she said. "That boy, his name's Kevin … he's been _living_ on the streets. He doesn't have any family. I … well, I was thinking of what the Green Ranger said. Somehow he knew that kid was all alone. I talked to some people, Mrs. Applebee is taking Kevin in, going to try to adopt him."

"In that case, how did you finish so quickly?" Trini said to this.

"They respect the Power Rangers." She shrugged. "Anything on Jason?"

"We have the scanners back up and searching, Billy's trying to boost the power to them, but so far nothing. Zack and I were about to 'port back to town, look around for him."

Kim nodded. "Okay. I'll join you."

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Tommy teleported into the alley behind the Youth Center. Bulk and Skull walked up on time to miss his teleporting in but saw him standing there alone.

"Hey there's that guy that interrupted you talking to Kimberly," Bulk pointed out to Skull. "We should teach him a lesson in manners."

"I'm with you, Bulky."

They walked into the alley and got up in Tommy's face.

"Hey new kid," Bulk said. "There's some things about this town you should know."

Tommy smirk but didn't say a word.

Bulk said, "Like first off, no one messes with Bulk and Skull. Nobody."

"Is that right?" Tommy said.

"And no one gets between me and Kimberly. She's mine," Skull added.

"I think you owe us an apology," Bulk told him.

Tommy's eyes flashed green, glowing with Power, and Bulk and Skull backed off.

"You know, thinking about it, I think we're the ones in the wrong," Skull fearfully said. "We'll stay out of your way. We won't say a word, we promise."

"Yeah," Bulk added, still backing away. "Not our fight. Really."

Tommy watched them back away then simply turned and walked off. Bulk and Skull ran the other way, not stopping until they reached Bulk's house.

"You saw that too, right?" Skull asked of Bulk. "His eyes."

"They glowed green. He's the …"

"_I'm _not saying. I mean, who he is, it's none of _my_ business."

"Right. Leave evil warriors alone."

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Inside the Youth Center, Kim leaned against the counter and caught Ernie's attention. "Hey Ernie. Have you seen Jason around?"

"I haven't seen him in awhile. You think he's in trouble or something?" Ernie asked, hearing the worry in her voice.

"I don't know," she admitted. "If you see Jason will you tell him we're looking for him?"

Ernie agreed, "Sure thing Kimberly."

Kim started to leave and backed into someone. "Oh excuse me." She turned around and saw who she'd run into. "Tommy?" He was still walking away. "Tommy wait." He turned to her and she asked, "Have you seen Jason around?"

Tommy said, "As a matter of fact, I waited for him after school. He never showed."

"Weird. That's not like him."

"And let me guess. You're worried right. That is what you do best. Isn't it Kimberly." Tommy then turned to leave.

Zack walked in, saw them. "Hey Tommy what's up?"

Tommy just looked at him and walked out without saying a word.

"What's with him?" Zack asked Kim.

"I wish I knew," she responded. "Did you find out anything?"

"I checked all over the place, no one's seen Jason."

"Same here. -- It's funny. Tommy said that he was supposed to meet Jason after school but he never showed."

"That's bogus, I know Jason was there," Zack disputed, not even realizing the lie in his words.

"Then you talk to Tommy okay? He probably thinks I'm just making this all up so I have something to say to him."

"Come on, we'll catch him outside." Zack and Kim hurried out.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	9. Planting Ideas

**CHAPTER 9 -- PLANTING IDEAS**

Goldar told Rita, "I think Pink Ranger suspects something."

Rita moved to her scope and looked down upon Angel Grove. "What is that no good Ranger up to? Yes, there's Kimberly and Zack following after my Green Ranger."

"There he is," Kim said, pointing out Tommy some distance up the path in the park, just visible through the trees.

"Yo Tommy!" Zack called to the retreating form. Tommy continued on as though he heard nothing. Zack and Kim were stopped by the appearance of a half dozen putties. "Man, talk about bad timing," Zack groused.

They fought the putties. They never saw Tommy turn around and watch the fight for a moment before continuing on his way.

The undefeated putties teleported away once Tommy was clear of them. Zack and Kim looked around in surprise.

"You alright?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Kim assured. "Tommy's gone."

"Something is definitely up."

"It's weird. The putties didn't even attack him."

"Yeah." Feeling like he was being watched, Zack looked around but didn't see anything. "Come on, let's get to the Command Centre."

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Jason stood up as the Green Ranger entered the cell.

"My Empress has order me to have the pleasure of killing you, Red Ranger."

Jason watched him warily. "You wear a Ranger uniform yet your loyalty is to Rita," he said. Almost the same thing Trini said to him when they first saw the Green Ranger but after overhearing Goldar and Scorpina speaking of the Green Ranger, Jason wanted to see if he saw anything else in his responses.

"I am her Ranger and she is my Empress," Green Ranger said to this. The response seemed off, unnatural to Jason. Exactly what he was looking for. Green Ranger attacked, Jason defended himself but refused to use any offensive moves.

"I don't want to fight you," Jason said.

"Because you know I will win," Green Ranger boasted.

"No, because you are a Ranger," Jason disputed. "If you're a true Ranger, and I'm starting to think you are, then you should be on Zordon's side and not Rita's."

"Zordon is nothing more than a memory. Rita will soon rule this world."

Green Ranger pushed the attack and again Jason fought defensively only. Green Ranger got through his defenses and pinned him to the ground, called the Sword of Darkness to him. "It's time to end this," Green Ranger said. "For what it's worth, you put up a good fight. You die with honor."

Green Ranger raised the sword over his head, blade down and aimed at Jason's heart. Then he hesitated.

"You don't want to do this," Jason breathed.

"It is my duty and my honor," Green Ranger said, but he still hesitated.

"She ordered you to take pleasure in my death," Jason pointed out. "A true warrior never takes pleasure in death. It is a last resort action. You're a warrior, I _know_ this."

"My Empress commands and I obey," was the rote response yet again. But still he hesitated. "You are a talented warrior, Red Ranger. I will not take pleasure from this but I _will_ obey my Empress's command."

"A warrior does not blindly follow anyone," Jason said almost desperately as the Green Ranger shifted his grip on the Sword of Darkness. "A warrior does not follow orders they cannot believe in even if the order comes from one they greatly respect. A warrior does not follow the commands of someone they cannot respect. A warrior could never respect anyone that told them to take pleasure in someone's death. A warrior respects life! You _cannot_ do this! _Think!_ This isn't you!"

"You don't know me," Green Ranger responded, but for just a moment his stance relaxed. Then his grip tightened and he raised the sword once again. "She is my Empress and I am her Ranger. She commands and I obey."

Jason could only watch as the sword lunged downward.

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"I've found his Power signal," Billy announced to the others.

"Where is he?" Kim asked.

"A Dark Dimension. It'll just take a moment to follow the Power trail and find a way through the Dimensional blocks … I've locked on. He's teleporting now."

Jason appeared in the middle of the Command Centre's floor, his hand went to his chest as he looked around, relaxing only when he recognized his surroundings.

"Jason, you're back!" Kim exclaimed.

"Guys that was way too close," Jason said. He lifted his hand, saw the blood upon it.

Trini ran over with a medical kit. "Take off the shirt," she ordered.

"It's just a nick," Jason assured while he removed his shirt with Zack's assistance. "Green Ranger … he had me."

"But we got you out in time," Trini said in a reassuring tone as she bandaged his chest. "As you said, just a nick."

"No," Jason insisted. "You didn't get me in time. Green Ranger had me and he hesitated. Then he said this … this mantra I guess and that's when he lunged down with the Sword of Darkness. You were on time because he hesitated. He didn't want to do it."

Jason looked around at his team. "We stay here tonight. I've got a lot to catch you guys up on and I want filled in on your ends."

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"Tommy!" Harry called as Tommy once again ran off from him. "I don't get it! Why are you _doing _this?!"

Tommy looked back at him, something in the other boy's tone reaching him through the haze. "I -- I just have to. For us, for our future. Trust me, Harry," he said, sounding almost like himself again in this moment. Then much to Harry's surprise, Tommy's powder blue eyes flashed with a green light and he turned and left without another word. Harry followed after him this time though and heard him call out, "Dragonzord!" before disappearing from sight in a flash of green light.

"Damn-it!" Harry swore. He now knew what was wrong with his best friend, brother and personal hero but what could he possibly do to help?

Thinking deeply, Harry walked back into their apartment. Then he smiled, Tommy still wrote endlessly in that journal of his. Maybe there was some clue in there he could use to help his friend. _So long as I don't get caught,_ he added ruefully to himself, knowing he couldn't count on their friendship to see him through when it was so obvious something was controlling his thoughts and actions to a great extent. Harry wasn't sure how these aliens would do such a thing but he'd find a way around it. He had to. He couldn't lose his brother.

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Billy was walking down the street around sunset, heading home from a Power Rangers meeting. The end of another busy day in what had to be the wildest week of his Ranger career. His mind on the other work he needed to do in the Command Centre, the questions surrounding the Green Ranger, and the too close calls they'd all experienced since the dark Ranger's appearance, Billy wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings.

Because of this, he almost ran right into the morphed Green Ranger. He skidded to a halt.

Green Ranger leaned casually against the back gate entrance to Billy's property. "Well," he said, and Billy could just imagine the smirk on his face. "Aren't you going to morph for this?"

Billy backed up several steps. The Green Ranger didn't even bother to change his stance, just continued leaning there. Billy raised his communicator and tried to call for help.

"Signal's blocked," Green Ranger lazily informed him. "And while I'm sure you could get through the block, it's not that complicated, I don't want to spend all night out here waiting. If you don't morph, I guess I'll just have to take you on like this. Won't be as much fun but we make do with what we have, I suppose."

Billy just looked at him a moment. The Green Ranger defeated Jason in battle, Billy had no doubts where he'd stand against him.

Green Ranger sighed. "Your call. I'd much prefer to make it at least _look _like it _could be_ a fair fight. Oh well." He pushed himself off the gate and stepped towards Billy.

Billy stepped back, pulled out his morpher and called out, "Triceratops!"

"That's more like it," Green Ranger praised. Then without another word, he attacked. The fight was short, over almost before it began.

Blue Ranger lay just outside the gate to his home, gasping in pain and unable to stand. The Green Ranger stood over him, a dagger and a sword sheathed at his sides yet he touched neither one. "I'm not going to kill you," he finally said. "You're not worth the effort. How pathetic really, a Power Ranger that doesn't even know how to fight."

With that, Green Ranger teleported off. Gasping in pain, Billy managed to hit the command to teleport back to the Command Centre.

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Green Ranger checked the location of all the Power Rangers, found no more of them out alone, so he called it a night.

Tommy walked into his tiny apartment and smiled at Harry curled up asleep on their bed. He opened his drawer and pulled out his journal, frowning at himself as he had to find where his pen had fallen to. He could have sworn he'd placed the pen in the binding as usual but he must not have placed it as well as he thought.

He went into the bathroom, lit a candle as the electricity didn't work in there and he didn't want to bother Harry with the one working light in the bedroom.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	10. True Colors

**CHAPTER 10 -- TRUE COLORS**

Harry cautiously walked into the Youth Center and over to the table where the Power Rangers sat just as described in Tommy's journals. "J-Jason S-scot?" he stammered.

The man in Red looked over and smiled gently. "Yeah?"

"I-I'm." He stopped, rolled his eyes at himself, took a deep breath to center himself as Tommy taught him, and began again. "I'm Harry Oliver and I need your help to save my brother."

"You're Tommy's kid brother?" he questioned. "What's up with him? He seemed like a good guy when we first met."

"Jason!" Trini exclaimed. "You're talking about the kid's brother!"

Harry shook his head. "No, he's right. He's been … weird lately, but I know what's wrong just … not how to fix it. We need to talk in private 'cause I … well I _hope_ you can."

Jason nodded and stood, the others following his lead. "Okay kid, lead on."

Harry smiled and led them outside, not stopping until he'd led them to a small, private spot he'd found in the park. Sitting on the ground, he looked up at the Rangers. Jason grinned and sat down in front of him, the others joining him. "So kid …"

"Don't call me that, please," Harry breathed. "I have a name, it is Harry. I won't call you guy and you don't call me kid. Okay?"

The Rangers laughed slightly and Jason nodded acceptance. "Sounds fair, Harry. So what's up?"

"I-I have to ask you something. Your enemies on the moon, do you know how they'd, well, control someone?"

"Our … enemies?" Jason said, meaning to sound confused, but coming out guilty. He really wasn't liking where this was going. _Please don't have this going where I think it's going. Please, please, please don't let him say it._

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're the Power Rangers, that's why I came to you. Do you?"

"Do we … Oh, yeah. We've … dealt with that a few times."

"Can you break this control?"

Jason frowned. _Damn-it, he's saying it._ "We have every time so far."

Harry sighed as though this lifted a great deal of weight from his shoulders. "Tommy's the greatest, he's everything to me. I … I wouldn't be alive today, if Tommy hadn't … Anyway, not long after we started school here, he came home to tell me he was meeting this girl and her friends. You. And, well, when he came back, he was … different. He didn't tell me anything anymore. He was gone all the time, he didn't seem to care about the same things … or maybe more like he didn't care about things in the same order. But then a couple days ago, I called out to him as he was leaving again and he responded almost like himself. Except it was all wrong, what he said, and … then his eyes _flashed green_, literally glowing, and he just turned and left. I followed him, heard him call out 'Dragonzord' and he disappeared in green light. And I, uh, started looking for how to help him, found out who you were, and came to you. -- Can you help him?"

All the Rangers were touched deeply by his words. Jason nodded solemnly. "We will, I give you my word. But you should go now, Harry, before Tommy finds out you're talking to us. He might hurt you if …"

Harry shook his head before Jason finished speaking. "Tommy would _never _hurt me, no matter what. Ever," he said, refusing to admit he'd had a similar thought when he first realized Tommy was the Green Ranger. He stood. "I'm going home though. I don't like being out," he said softly. It made them wonder what it was he'd meant earlier, that he'd be dead if not for Tommy.

"I'll walk you home."

"No, I'm fine. Tommy says its safest if no one knows where we live. Besides, that wouldn't be a good thing to do if you're really worried about him knowing we were talking." With that, Harry turned and walked away from them.

"Tommy Oliver's the Green Ranger," Kim breathed.

"Taking that into consideration, I did better in that fight last night than I would have thought to be within my own capabilities," Billy said.

Trini said, "Then it is a control spell like Scorpina said to Goldar."

"It seems so," Jason responded. "I wasn't sure that Scorpina hadn't meant for me to overhear but with Tommy being the Green Ranger … A spell explains so much."

"What do we do about it?" Zack asked. "I mean, he's still trying to kill us. Control spell or free will, he kills us we're still just as dead."

"He's managed to fight the spell enough to hold back every time it's gotten close so far. All we can do is hope he continues to fight it until we can break the spell and free him," Jason said. "We need to find Tommy. Billy, how far are you from restoring contact with Zordon?"

"I should be able to do so sometime today," Billy said.

"Okay. You go to the Command Centre and get that done, the rest of us will look for Tommy." Jason paused, thinking of what else he'd overheard while held in the Dark Dimension. "I think when we find Tommy, Kim should be the one to approach him."

Kim glanced at him but didn't voice her doubts.

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Kim entered the Youth Center and walked over to Ernie, who was watching the news on the television on the counter. They were currently recapping the latest 'Power Rangers news'. "Hey Ernie," she greeted.

"Can you believe this is happening?" Ernie asked as Kim walked over.

"I know. It's terrible."

"Thank goodness for the Power Rangers."

Kim smiled at this but didn't comment. "Have you seen Tommy?"

"The new kid, right?"

"Yeah."

"He's over there," Ernie said, pointing to the weight equipment. Tommy was the only one in the area.

"Thanks." She stepped into a doorway and called the others by communicator. "I've found him and I'm about to try to talk to him."

'Okay Kim,' Jason responded. 'We'll keep an eye on you. Billy just reestablished contract with Zordon so we're at full power again.'

"Good. Wish me luck." She signed off and headed over to him, wondering all the way what she could possibly say. Wondering how he'd react inside the crowded Youth Center. Thinking of his rescue of Kevin, she doubted he'd react violently with so many younger kids around.

As she hesitated, she saw Bulk and Skull enter the Youth Center and headed to the weight equipment. They were laughing together and relaxed until Bulk looked up and saw Tommy. He stopped, stopping Skull as well. They both stopped laughing and just stared at Tommy a moment. Then Skull saw her and walked over.

"Kimberly," Skull said, his voice strangely quiet and serious. She almost brushed him off as usual but his voice and expression stopped her. This wasn't the same punk kid that bullied Billy all those years, that kept hitting on her in the worst ways and refused to take no for an answer. "Don't go over there," he implored. "He's not … he's just not your type, okay? He's dangerous."

She smiled at him for what might be the first time in her life. "That's really … sweet of you, trying to watch out for me. But I can take care of myself."

"You don't get it," Skull continued, careful not to raise his voice. "He's not … in the one thing everyone here should agree on, he's not on our side."

Bulk grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards the exit. Skull threw over his shoulder, "Just be careful."

Kim stayed where she was until both Bulk and Skull were out of sight, trying to make sense of what just occurred. It sounded almost like Skull was trying to warn her Tommy was the Green Ranger, but how could he possibly know that? And when did Skull become anything other than a punk and bully?

Shaking her head, she pushed those questions aside for the moment. All that mattered right now was she's the Pink Ranger and she's on a mission. The fact that mission scared her more than any other was beside the point. She forced herself to continue to Tommy's side.

"Tommy? I know," she said when she stood next to him. He barely even looked at her as he continued his workout. Kim glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear her words before adding, "I know you're the Green Ranger."

Tommy let the weights fall back, turned a dark glare her way, his eyes forest green. "Well then Pink Ranger you should also know that you and the other Rangers will soon be destroyed."

"Let us help you," Kim implored. "We can break Rita's spell."

"Rita is my Empress. She will soon rule this world," he said, and she had to agree with Jason, it did sound like a catechism.

"Tommy please let us help you."

"It is not I that is in need of help," Tommy stated, his eyes glowed green once again. Kim gasped at this and stepped back. Tommy stalked off.

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That night, Tommy stormed into the apartment with a cloud of anger, ignored Harry totally, and jerked open the drawer, getting his journal out. He wrote sitting on the bed, not at all worried about whether or not this disturbed Harry this time.

Dear Journal:

How dare she! I don't know how but that little Pink Ranger figured out who I am and she had the nerve to say I need saved? She's the one on the losing side! How could I ever have been attracted to her, she doesn't understand power at all?!

"Tommy?" Harry breathed, shielding his eyes.

Tommy sat the journal aside and smiled kindly at the other boy. "Sorry, Harry, I was just … I wasn't thinking." He placed the journal back in the drawer and turned off the light before dressing for bed.

"'Skay," Harry murmured, moving over slightly in the bed to give Tommy room. "Glad y' came home."

Tommy ruffled the other's hair as he climbed into bed. "Get some sleep."

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Continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	11. Choices

**CHAPTER 11 -- CHOICES**

Green Ranger stood atop a building in the warehouse district and lifted his Dragon Dagger to his lips, played the flute in it's handle to call forth the Dragonzord. He stayed upon the building, commanding it from the distance to destroy buildings.

The Power Rangers teleported onto the roof of the building across from him.

"Tommy no!" Jason called out. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I am following my Empress's commands," Green Ranger responded to this. "No more holding back, you're time is up."

Red Ranger watched the Green Ranger standing on the building while the Dragonzord destroyed. "Guys, call your zords. I'll try to reach Tommy."

"Right." Zack led the others in calling the zords while Jason jumped across to the other roof.

The Red and Green Rangers were quickly immersed in their own fight. The four Rangers held their own against the Dragonzord as the Green Ranger was no longer able to concentrate on that battle, but it kept all four of them tied up and away from their leader.

They fought on, both battlefronts appeared equally stalemated. Then Tommy got the upper hand over Jason, he stood over the other boy with the Sword of Darkness raised over his heart in a replay of their fight in the Dark Dimension. Jason took a breath but didn't speak as Tommy lunged the sword downward … and stopped just before the blade could cut. Not an inch separated the sword from Jason's flesh.

The Red and Green Rangers stared into each other's eyes for an endless moment.

The other Rangers finally overcame the Dragonzord and immediately vacated their zords to join the ground fight. When they arrived and saw the two frozen combatants, they kept a distance, afraid to interrupt the eerie balance. No one spoke a word, no one dared breath.

Suddenly Jason did a leg sweep, Tommy jumped up and back to avoid him, pulling the sword away as he did so. Once more, the two boys were locked in mortal combat. But something was different.

As they watched, it finally occurred to Trini what was different this time. The Green Ranger was making mostly defensive moves with only a few offensive moves thrown in almost haphazardly. Truthfully, he wasn't even doing his best on the defensive end. _He's breaking through the spell on his own, _she thought to herself. But she could see he would still need help. She almost called out to Jason to let him know what she saw but hesitated. What if she was wrong or what if Tommy wasn't able to fight the spell long enough and her voice distracted Jason from defending himself? So she kept her silence and simply watched.

At that moment, Jason knocked Tommy back with a spin kick, knocking the Green Ranger to the ground and sending the Sword of Darkness flying from his hand.

"It's over Tommy." Jason sheath his sword then drew his Power Blaster and fired at the Sword of Darkness in one move.

"No!" Tommy cried out at it's destruction. With it gone, the spell was lifted, causing him to de-morph.

The other Rangers run to Jason's side. "You did it!" Zack exclaimed. "Rita's spell is broken."

"We hope," Trini put in.

"Power down guys," Jason ordered as he watched Tommy push himself slowly to his knees. The five Rangers de-morphed.

"What's happening to me?" Tommy breathed, talking to himself.

"You're okay Tommy," Jason assured him as he knelt beside him. "You're no longer under Rita's power."

Jason helped Tommy stand. He seemed okay for a moment, then he flinched back as all the memories came crashing down upon him. "What have I done?" Tommy moaned. He looked passed Jason to the other Rangers, a haunted look in his tea green eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"What happened wasn't your fault," Trini assured him but they could all see the guilt clearly on his face. She smiled reassuringly at him then stepped back and teleported out.

Jason stated, "What you did was done under Rita's power but you're free now. Rita's spells are powerful, there's nothing you could have done. But you own the Power now, Tommy. Fight by our side and we can defeat Rita." Jason offered his hand to Tommy. "What do you say?"

Tommy stared with mixed emotions at Jason's extended hand. _You're not going to kill me? _"After everything that happened?"

"Please, Tommy." This at least got Tommy to meet his eyes. Tommy's eyes, Jason couldn't help but notice, were shifting colors between tea green and a green turquoise. He'd never seen anything like it before. Jason smiled kindly and said, "We need you. It's where you belong."

_Belong? I don't belong anywhere._ "I don't get it. You really want me to join you?"

Zack smirked. "Come on, man. He's running out of different ways to say it."

Jason threw Zack an exasperated look, then turned back to Tommy. The hand he offered to Tommy never wavered. "Yes, I want you to join us. You are not responsible for what Rita did, but you can be for helping stop her."

"We all want you to join us," Billy offered.

"Please Tommy?" Kim implored.

Trini teleported back to in, Harry at her side. The moment they appeared, Harry ran over and threw his arms around Tommy. Tommy held onto him just as tightly. Jason stepped back with his other friends, giving the brothers a moment.

"Harry," Tommy breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"Trini brought me. I was waiting for them to tell me you were okay," Harry informed.

Tommy pulled back slightly. "What? You knew?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Give me credit for a little intelligence here, Tommy. I _know_ you. You're my everything. You've risked everything for me and you've given me everything you have to give. Then you left me a note saying you had more important things to do."

"I'm sorry," Tommy apologized. "Nothing's more important than you. I never --"

Harry cut him off. "I know. I know you would never. That's why I followed you and saw you were the Green Ranger. That's why I had to find the Power Rangers, they were the only ones I could think of that might be able to save you. Because I know you. You're my brother and you are not what that spell was making you be."

Tommy smiled. "You're amazing, you know that."

"You know what? I do know that but only because _you_ tell me. You make me believe in myself. You make me believe that I can do anything, that I'm worthwhile." Harry took Tommy's hand. "Can you believe the same of yourself? 'Cause _I_ know it's true."

Tommy didn't say anything for a long moment. His gaze traveled to the five Rangers. "He wants me to join them," he quietly told Harry.

"Of course he does," Harry responded, like it was the most natural thing in existence.

"I almost killed them. I could have."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "You _could have_ killed them all but you didn't. You fought her control and now you're free. They want you on their team because you are a true and honorable warrior. You belong there. We all know that."

Tommy didn't say anything. Harry hugged him then took his hand and took a single step towards the Rangers. "We've been the world to each other, Tommy, the only one the other could always count on. You can always count on me, that'll never change, but maybe it's time that number was larger. What do you say? I'm willing to let them in if you are."

"Will you join us Tommy?" Jason asked, offering his hand once again.

Tommy still hesitated, his iris blue eyes locked with Jason's. "You're asking -- _asking_ me to join you?" At this, Harry looked to Jason with the same solemn weight behind his gaze.

"Yes," Jason said in all seriousness. "I … we all want you to join us. You're free now and the Power is yours. You are not to blame for any of it, it is your choice where you go from here. I can't tell you what to do, you don't owe us anything, so yes, I'm _asking_ you to join us. I'm asking you, Tommy, to join the team and fight for the side of good, where you so obviously belong. And I'm asking you and Harry to join the Ranger family."

Tommy met Jason's eyes for a long moment, then slowly accepted the offered hand. Harry met Jason's eyes and at his nod he added his hand to theirs.

"Everything will be okay now," Harry breathed. One by one, each of the other Rangers added their hands to the circle. Jason smiled as they welcomed their newest teammate and his brother. Harry already seemed at home with them but Jason knew from the haunted look in Tommy's eyes and the wording of his questions that it wasn't going to be easy but they would convince Tommy he was part of the family.

888

Within the Command Centre, Zordon and Alpha watched.

"We're watching history in the making, Alpha," Zordon stated. "The child of prophesy has appeared and is now one of us. He will bring safety and peace."

"Or darkness and destruction," Alpha pointed out. "The prophesy said he would have the power of both."

"But he is choosing us. Have faith, Alpha. There is great goodness within him."

Remembering Tommy saving a child in the middle of a battle, while under an evil spell, Alpha had to agree. "Let us hope he stays true to his goodness. It is too frightening to imagine the power to re-write fate in the hands of evil."

888

Continued -- Let me know what you think -- Review!


	12. Falling

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 12 -- FALLING**

Tommy sat with his feet dangling over the edge of the cliff, staring at nothing as the sun rose behind him. He was tired, _so tired_. Tired of hurting, tired of fighting, tired of living. Tired of carrying around the guilt that survival heaped upon him. Trying to sleep last night did nothing to help, the only good news being he was so used to the need to not draw attention to himself that he never called out in his nightmares. Harry slept through them. Tommy finally decided enough was enough and crept out of the apartment, leaving Harry asleep in bed.

He had left a note that, while kinder than the ones he'd left most recently, held even less truth. He'd promised nothing was wrong when everything felt wrong. He'd claimed he slept well and woke early, just left to work out. That he might not be back before Harry left for school but that he was sure he'd see him right afterwards. He'd claimed he'd make a point of talking to the other Rangers at least during lunch, when he had no plans to go to school today let alone talk to people he'd recently tried to kill. He felt guilty over that note too, just less guilty than he would have felt if he'd told the truth.

The sun rose higher, the start of school came and went and still Tommy sat on the cliff's edge.

It was after lunch time that he pulled out his journal and began to write.

Dear Journal,

I don't know what I'm doing. I had nightmares all night, stupid nightmares. I dreamt I was still Rita's, that I didn't hold back at all, that I killed all the Rangers. Then she threw me away. She took my Power Coin and destroyed it, she killed Harry, leaving me alone and powerless. And I just _know_ that's what would have happened. It was another one of those dreams. But what use is a warning dream when it comes _after_ the danger? Or is the danger really in the past just because I joined the Rangers against her? Could Rita still make me that? Or am I like that? Was it just her spell or is the darkness part of me? I don't know what I'm doing, I feel like I'm falling.

Tommy stared at the words he just wrote for a long moment before stuffing the journal almost violently back into his bag. He stared out over the canyons, still sitting on the edge of the cliff, and wondered about falling.

***

Scorpina wondered the moon castle long after everyone else settled in for the night, a restlessness she couldn't explain filling her. It finally led her to the throne room.

"I see I'm not the only one unable to sleep tonight," she said as she walked onto the balcony and wrapped her arms around Goldar's waist, laid her head against his back.

"No," he agreed gruffly, his eyes locked on the planet below. "We're not."

Scorpina immediately straightened and looked to see what it was that held her lover's attention so strongly. The answer was immediately obvious. Tommy Oliver, their -- well, their enemy now, sat forlornly on the edge of a cliff in those canyons he'd tricked her into taking him that first day. He sat way too close to the edge, looking over the edge like falling might not be so bad. "How long?"

"I have been here three hours. He was there then and he has not moved in that time."

The two warriors shared a long look. Neither one had to speak aloud their worry for that child. "If we're caught…" Scorpina drifted off.

"It is treason," Goldar finished. "We should avoid him outside battle. However …"

"It's our fault. We're the ones that found him, we're the ones that brought him to Rita. He's just a child. A baby."

Goldar smiled at her. "It is simple, my love. We must ensure we are not caught."

They took a moment to ensure that area of the canyons was hidden from power scans, whether they originated with the Power Rangers or from the Moon. Then they teleported down.

Tommy was standing facing them, his back to the cliff edge, before the teleport completed. He watched them warily, his unease sent a thrill of guilt through the two warriors.

"Easy Tommy," Scorpina said. "We're not here to fight. We're not here about the war."

"Rita doesn't know we're here," Goldar put in.

Tommy relaxed his stance slightly. "Why are you here then?"

"You seemed sad, it looked like you could use a friend."

He thought about that a moment then shrugged and sat back down. Scorpina winced at his positioning, it didn't look like you could fit a knife's edge between him and the edge. He wasn't jumping, she didn't think he would actively end his own life. She hoped he wouldn't. But he was welcoming the fall. Even if he didn't fall here, in war death came all too quickly to those that invited it upon themselves.

"We're supposed to be enemies now," Tommy pointed out softly. "The Power Rangers say they're my friends."

"Do you think see us as just enemies?" Goldar questioned, sitting a short distance away, and further from the edge. Scorpina sat beside him.

Tommy shrugged but didn't speak. Scorpina asked, "Are the Power Rangers your friends? It's okay if they are," she added when Tommy looked uncomfortable at the question.

Tommy just shrugged again, his royal blue eyes stared out across the canyon. "They're … friendly. Like overly, freakily, too good to be real friendly. I almost killed them all and they act like …" He sighed, shook his head in confusion. "I don't know. It's unreal."

Scorpina smiled at him. "You know what _I_ think they act like?" When he shook his head no, she said, "I think they act like they know _you_ weren't responsible for hurting them. I think they act like they know you were under a powerful control spell and they're alive today because you fought that spell with a strength of will they never imagined possible. I think they act like they respect you."

Goldar agreed. "I think they really want to be your friends, Tommy, and I think you want to be their friend as well." He leaned towards Tommy slightly, said in a conspiratorial tone, "I think, despite how much I wouldn't mind killing them all, that as long as they're good for you Scorpina and I will find ourselves 'outmatched' by them. Can't promise anything from the creations or other warriors though."

"If they hurt you though …" Scorpina added. "If they hurt you then it's open season on Power Rangers."

Tommy smiled at this but said, "I don't need a protector, I can take care of myself."

"We know that. But you're eight years old, Tommy. You shouldn't have to take care of yourself. Let us help you where we can."

Tommy thought on her words a moment then nodded, a small, almost shy smile gracing his lips. The three fell into comfortable silence.

Scorpina broke the silence once again. "Tommy? Could you please move a little further from the edge? If you fell from this height it is questionable if even the Power could protect your life. Even if it did, you would still be hurt."

Tommy moved so he was no closer to the edge than she was. "Don't worry, Scorpina," he said, meeting her eyes with the strength of will that allowed him to fight Rita's strongest control spell, "I'm not falling."

***

Goldar drew his sword on a small snake, Tommy reached over and grabbed his wrist. "It's okay," Tommy assured him. He looked at the snake for a moment, the snake seemed to nod and then slithered off.

"You should go now," Tommy said. "Harry's coming."

"What makes you think that?" Scorpina questioned as she and Goldar stood.

Tommy smiled. "He's my brother. We have our ways."

They waited a moment but he added nothing. They teleported off. Almost immediately after they were gone, Harry walked over, Jason a few steps behind him.

"Hey, bro," Jason said as he and Harry sat down not far from Tommy. He'd started calling Tommy that, or was it Tommy who first called him bro, not long after that final battle. No one was sure just how that happened but they were brothers now in all ways that mattered. Harry took it well, didn't seem to think anything of it really, but Jason had a feeling there was more to that than he saw, something the Oliver boys hid from everyone but each other. Jason would bet his life on that, he just couldn't begin to guess what it was they were hiding.

"What are you doing here?" Tommy paused, realizing how rude that could sound. "Not that I mind or anything."

Jason answered, "Harry was worried about you. I tried your communicator but …"

Harry tossed Tommy his forgotten wrist communicator. "I bet it works better if you actually wear it."

"Yeah," Tommy agreed as he put it on. "I'll have to get used to that. Unless you've found someone better," he added, looking to Jason with tea green eyes.

Jason sighed. "Bro, we're not looking for someone else. We don't want anyone else. If we were looking for better fighters, there'd be five of us replaced before it ever got to you anyway."

"I didn't mean a better fighter, I know I'm one of the best there," Tommy put in matter-of-fact. "I meant a better person. Someone that's not evil and …"

"You are not evil!" Jason and Harry exclaimed as one.

"Rita's the evil one," Jason continued. "You are not responsible for her sins. We all like you, Tommy, we want you on the team. Besides, it's not like we can just walk up to someone on the street and say 'we have a spare Power Coin, you wanna be a Power Ranger?'"

"Why not. Isn't that how Zordon did with you guys?"

"That was different."

"How?" When Jason couldn't answer, Tommy nodded. "It's not different."

"What do you want to do then, Tommy?" Jason demanded. "I want you on the team, Kim wants you on the team, Billy, Zack, Trini all want you on the team. Harry supports you being on the team. We all like Harry as well. Zordon and Alpha are beyond pleased to have you on the team. So it's on you, Tommy. What do _**you **_want? 'Cause if you really don't want to be here then I'll find someone else for the Power and you can go. I'd still be your friend if you let me, I'd try to protect you if they messed with you. But that's not what I want. _**I **_want you on my team. _**What do you want?**_"

Tommy looked at him a moment and Jason almost gasped at the pain and guilt hidden in the depths of his azure eyes. "How can you be so sure that's what you want? You don't know me." That much he was sure of. There was no way Jason could know him, Tommy didn't even know himself. He'd called Seetha and his cronies evil for so long, thought of himself as different from them, only locked in the chains of circumstance. But he'd come very close to destroying the world, bringing about pain and death beyond what Seetha's little enterprise could bestow. Maybe he wasn't so different from those others, maybe he just refused to see what it was in him that all these evil beings must be noticing. Why else would Rita have chosen him to be her evil Green Ranger?

Jason hesitated, feeling himself walking a thin line with whatever answer he gave. "I've seen you in action, bro. You've got the guts to handle this, if you'll give yourself half a chance. And you don't have to deal with this alone, bro. Harry, me, the other Rangers, we're all here for you."

_Don't have to deal with this alone. _The words echoed in his head, so very strange to him. Even Harry being there was pretty new and strange to him. That was frightening enough, but to trust someone else to support him … He couldn't risk that with anyone. Could he? _Not alone._ His emerald eyes met Jason's and for the first time he felt he might be able to risk it all with someone else. Jason he felt he could trust. It wasn't the same as the immediate connection he had to Harry but … it was the same.

He left the canyons with his brothers, smiling softly to himself, and thought back on what he wrote in his journal earlier. He had been falling and there wasn't a way for him to catch himself. Luckily, there were others able to do so, and more than willing.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think of the remake of the 'evil' Green Ranger saga and my version of Goldar and Scorpina.


	13. Bulk and Skull

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 13 -- BULK AND SKULL**

Tommy sighed in boredom as he sat in after school detention, his punishment for skipping yesterday. As far as punishments go, he didn't think it was so bad. Boring, yes, but nothing like the punishments Rita gave nor even those he'd faced from Seetha. It was certainly nothing like what Bulk and Skull were making it out to be. Though to be fair, Tommy had the feeling it was _his_ presence that had those two so on edge. Since he knew they knew he was the Green Ranger, he couldn't blame them for feeling that way, it made more since than the other Power Rangers' reactions to him.

The principal, Tommy thought his name was something like Captain. Catlin? No. Caplin. Mr. Caplin sat at the front of the room, looking just as bored as Tommy felt. Time crept by.

A light knock on the door sounded, startling several of the kids, and Mrs. Applebee opened it and smiled at Mr. Caplin. "You're son-in-law called, their having the baby. I'll take over here."

Caplin rushed out the room and Mrs. Applebee closed the door behind him. Her eyes traveled over the room, taking in everyone's presence. Seeing Tommy, she walked over and sat in the empty seat beside him, the only seat separating him from Bulk and Skull. She frowned slightly at the almost frightened looks the two were giving Tommy.

"Mr. Oliver," she greeted.

He looked up, his Prussian blue eyes not meeting hers, and gave her a small smile in response. She made him nervous, she knew too much he didn't want known, and she paid too much attention to what Tommy did since he sorta saved her life.

She smiled. "You look bored out of your mind, Tommy," she said softly, trying to make him relax. "You could take advantage of this time, get your homework done."

"It's done," Tommy admitted softly, still not quite looking at her.

"Catch up on what you missed yesterday?"

"Done."

The silence stretched. Tommy was contemplating how much trouble he'd be in and how many more questions it could raise if he just ran out of the room before she could speak again.

"Why did you skip yesterday?" she finally asked.

"No reason," Tommy said, his voice almost dead. "That's why I'm in detention."

"You told Mr. Caplin you skipped for no reason? That would get you detention. I think you lied to him. I think you always have an important reason for something like that."

"You don't know me," Tommy returned, a line he'd been saying all too often lately. Then, thinking of all the things she could say, he flinched.

Mrs. Applebee smiled, but she didn't bring up that first night she saw him. "Tommy." She shook her head. "I saw something very interesting on the news the other day. Do you watch the news?"

Tommy rested his head on his hand and sighed deeply. "Why would I?"

"It was on the Power Rangers, our local heroes," she continued like he hadn't spoken. "The Red Ranger was talking about that guy they've been fighting recently, the Green Ranger. Turns out that witch on the moon was controlling him, none of the actions were his fault. He said they were able to free him because his strength of spirit in fighting back against the control gave them time."

"Why're you telling me this?"

"The Green Ranger's joined the team now," she said. "He'll show the world he's the hero I know he can be." She stood, announced to the room, "Detention is over. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Most the students rushed out while Tommy sat there staring at Mrs. Applebee in shock. Bulk and Skull didn't move either.

Once everyone but those four were out of the room, Mrs. Applebee smiled at Tommy once again. "I can understand why you needed a day. I'm sure it's harder than I can imagine but don't let it destroy you."

Tommy didn't say anything and Mrs. Applebee turned to leave. Before she was to the door, Tommy called out, "It wasn't about you, you know."

Mrs. Applebee stopped, faced him once more. Tommy continued, "That night, I saw the gun man and I was gonna do the smart thing and stay out of it. But it was Brian working that night and he's my friend. I wasn't being heroic or anything, I didn't care who or even if anyone else was in there. I just was trying to help a friend."

Bulk and Skull were staring at him in amazement. They both knew the robbery he was talking about. There weren't many stores held up at gunpoint in Angel Grove, even less where the robber's caught on scene and one of their teachers is listed as a witness.

Mrs. Applebee smiled at Tommy and said, "I know it wasn't about me, Tommy. I was pretty sure the cashier was a friend of yours too. But you still saved my life and, whether it was your intention or not, it showed you to have a truly heroic spirit. Just like the Green Ranger saved my soon to be son Kevin, ending a battle to do so. No one can just choose to be a hero, Tommy. It doesn't matter how you see yourself, you can only become a hero through someone else's eyes. You have." With that, she left the room.

"We didn't see the news," Bulk offered after awhile. "Sorry. How 'bout we start over, you know now that you're not evil and we … Well, Skull and I support the Power Rangers."

Tommy looked at him in surprise. "Do you know who the other Rangers are?" he finally asked and they shook their heads no. Tommy said, "All this time and no one knows them, I come in and almost immediately three people know! They're gonna be so …" He stopped suddenly.

Skull offered, "It's not your fault, really. The Rangers won't be mad about it. Will they?"

"No," Tommy breathed. "They won't." He fell to silently staring out the window and Bulk and Skull stayed beside him in the silence. After awhile, Tommy found himself opening up to the two boys. "It would make more sense if they did. I can't understand them. I tried to kill them, I put them through hell, and they … they just welcome me in like I'm their best friend." He finally looked at them, the confusion clear in his royal blue eyes. "You're doing the same thing here. You say you know I'm the Green Ranger and you're sitting here talking to me, wanting to start over? I don't get it."

Bulk and Skull shared a look. "Yeah, we can see you don't," Skull said, speaking for himself as he usually wouldn't around school. "I think we can explain it, if you'll hang in there with us for a couple stories. You willing?"

Tommy met each of their eyes in turn, giving them the feeling he was looking right through them. Then he nodded. "Alright. But let's get out of this school first."

"My house okay?" Bulk asked. "My parents won't be home until late."

Tommy agreed, and he rode with them to Bulk's house. Immediately upon entering, he asked to borrow the phone.

Bulk handed him the phone. "Need privacy?"

He shook his head. "It should be short," he promised, taking the offered seat on the couch. Bulk and Skull sat across from him as he dialed. "Billy," he greeted when it was answered. "I really hate to ask but I need a favor. Harry … He is? Good. Can you keep him with you until I come by? No, I'm not in the canyons. There's no phone service there." He fell silent for a long moment, his expression grew serious. "No, I'm not falling. Like you said, I can't do that to Harry." Another pause, this one leaving Tommy confused. "Basketball? I … Uh, if I get done on time, I guess I'll see you out there. Okay, bye."

"Who is Harry?" Bulk asked.

Tommy looked at him in silence for a long moment, making Bulk question if he asked something he shouldn't have. Finally, Tommy answered, "Harry Oliver, my brother. He's in elementary school." A pause then, "He knows about the Ranger thing too but he figured out everyone. He's the one that told the others who I am."

"Sounds like a smart kid."

"He is," Tommy agreed. "A true survivor."

Bulk and Skull shared a look over this wording but silently agreed not to question it just yet. "So you want to know why we want a chance to be friends," Skull began. "Instead of running screaming into the night as far from you as we can get."

Tommy smirked. "Something like that."

"You know we're sorta known for bullying around school," Bulk said.

"Kinda caught onto that. If you're saying you want to be friends 'cause I managed to be the bigger bully …"

"Nope. It's like I said, we support the Power Rangers."

Skull took over, "We weren't always the bullies you know. We didn't always live here either. We were the new kids, an oddity here. Two new kids from two different places moving to this little town at the same time and in the same grade too. Angel Grove is different too, from anywhere. And I don't mean the attacks, this was way before then. This town is just different. Anyway, my parents just divorced in this big way, my mother actually fought in court to keep from getting stuck with me so I moved here with my father. And I was angry. I mean really angry, at both my parents, at having to move from the town I knew and all my friends, at … at the world, I guess. And here I was in this new place surrounded by strangers that were so freaking happy." Skull laughed humorlessly. "So I really didn't make a good impression on any of the locals. They didn't make so good an impression on me either. The kids laughed at my name. I was this skinny kid, smaller than most in the class, an easy target."

"That's why you go by Skull now?" Tommy asked.

Skull nodded. "Yeah. Well, it is my name. Sorta." He held his hand out to Tommy and introduced himself, "Eugene Skullivitch."

Tommy took his hand, then Bulk's when he offered. "Farkus Bulkmeir," Bulk said. "Same problem with the name, same reason for changing. I didn't get why they laughed, their names were the weird ones to me. My family moved here from Germany, Dad was promoted and the job transferred him here. My family was always close, my parents love each other and I love them. I was also bigger than most the kids around this area. Basically the opposite of Skull here. I never did anything about them laughing at me. Just sorta took it. Then I went out on the playground and I heard this guy tell a girl hi. It was Skull, talking to Kimberly Hart, the most popular girl in our year. And the guys around her started making fun of Skull, she laughed with them, and Skull looked so broken. I had enough. I walked over and I just hit the loudest guy in the face. Broke his nose, started a fight me and Skull against him and his friends, and ended up with all of us suspended from school for a week. Skull and I got to know each other in that time, the start of a lifelong friendship. The guy whose nose I broke was Jason Scot, and he ended up in martial arts lessons after that. Skull and I started kinda … I guess pushing back after that. We ended up in competition against Jason and his friends, still are most the time. And Skull _still_ can't seem to give up on Kimberly liking him."

"We might have a problem then," Tommy said, sounding truly disappointed.

Skull waved it off. "No, I know you're into Kim and she seems really into you. I think you'd be good for her, too. I'll stay out of it."

"That's not it," Tommy said, his medium blue eyes meeting Skull's gaze for just a moment. "After everything, there's just no way she could want to be with me like that. It's just …"

"The guy you called, it's Billy Cranston, isn't it?" Bulk questioned, almost sure of the answer.

"Yeah." Tommy sighed. "The thing is, I'm going to be around them. That's not even really a choice at this point. If you've got a problem with any of them, Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy or Kim, I'm going to be there. But I don't want trouble with you. I get the two of you more than I can them. You're stories showed that, even if they didn't really say why you'd trust me after everything."

Bulk and Skull didn't respond for a long moment, just taking in and thinking about what that said. There was only one reason they could think of that Tommy would hang out with five people he didn't understand and support them no matter what like he was suggesting. Five people that always wore the same colors, that started acting different when the whole Power Ranger thing started, that disappeared each time there was trouble. _They're the Power Rangers._ The thought ran through both their minds but remained unspoken. And it would remain unspoken. They'd never allow that team to find out their newest member accidentally gave away their identities nor would they allow Tommy to find that out and add that to the guilt that was already trying to bury him. So they just sat there for the longest moment, trying to think of something, anything to say besides they're the Power Rangers.

"We'll back off them," Bulk promised. "If they start something we're not gonna just take it but we won't start it."

Tommy smiled. "If they start it, I'll gladly support you."

Skull shook his head no. "Naw, don't worry about it. Don't cause yourself trouble. If you just don't join in, we'll be happy."

Bulk added, "We can hang out when you're not with them. If you need us for anything just let us know. We'll be there. What do you say? Friends?"

"Friends," Tommy agreed. "I still don't get why you'd want that though."

"A lot of things changed around here with the alien attacks," Bulk told him. "Friendships are stronger, life is more appreciated as we've all learned not to take it for granted anymore. Almost everyone in town's been caught in the middle of a battle at some time or another and we've all watched the Power Rangers defend. We've seen thing we never would have believed possible so this control spell thing isn't that out there anymore. The whole town's basically learned to trust the Power Rangers' judgment and they believe you're okay or they wouldn't have spoken to the media."

Skull added, "You also acted different before the Green Ranger showed and you're acting different again now that you're free. Really, we'd have to be blind not to see that."

Tommy thought on that. "I guess that makes sense." He hesitated then said, "Now that we have that settled … Maybe you can help me with something before I meet up with the others. This might seem like a strange question but _what_ is basketball?"

Bulk and Skull laughed good naturedly as they stood. "Come out back, we'll show you," Bulk said.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	14. Getting To Know You

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 14 -- GETTING TO KNOW YOU**

Tommy stood in the shadows of the trees, watching as the other Power Rangers played basketball. He hadn't shown the day before, arriving to get Harry from Billy's house instead. Billy had immediately invited him to join them the next day. He'd thought about skipping out on it once again but Harry had been at him all night, saying he needed to go. So he made a deal. Harry was spending the evening with the art club his teacher was overseeing and Tommy agreed to meet up with the Rangers.

So here he was, hiding. Trying to make himself step out into the light and walk over there like he belonged, like he hadn't tried to kill them all not so long ago.

On the court, the five Rangers were well aware of Tommy's presence in the shadows. They pretended otherwise so as not to pressure him. But the longer Tommy stood unmoving there, the harder they found it to pretend.

As Trini moved in close to Jason, she said, "One of us could go over there. It wouldn't be too much if just one of us went, would it?"

Jason took the ball and made the shot. As the others cheered the shot, he quietly said, "If someone can tell me how just one of us can go there without it looking weird, I'm all for it."

Trini threw him a grin as she took the ball. Tossing it to Billy, she said, "Make it look good, Blue Boy."

Billy caught on immediately. He threw the ball towards the basket, missing just right that the ball bounced off the side of the back and went directly to Tommy. Tommy caught it on reflex, Billy noticed.

"I'll get it!" Trini called and ran towards Tommy while the others stayed on the court. "Oh, hi Tommy," she greeted. "Billy missed."

"I saw." Tommy handed her the ball. "How long have you known I was here?"

She blushed. "Why do you think we knew?"

Tommy chuckled. "Billy's aim hasn't been that bad and that was perfectly calculated to reach me. Anyone else had done that, I might have thought it an accident. With Billy I assume good math."

She laughed with him, enjoying the lighthearted moment. It was the most she'd heard from him since he joined them but she carefully didn't point that out. "Okay, I admit it. We saw you walk up. Were you ever planning to join us?"

"Well, that _was_ the plan. Right up until I was heading over and saw this _very_ interesting tree." He motioned to the tree he was standing by that looked like basically every other tree in the park. They both laughed. Seriously he said, "No really. I know it sounds easy, and all of you are very welcoming, but it's just … it's hard."

She laid a hand on his arm, noticing his slight flinch at the contact but not commenting. "You have nothing to feel guilty about," she assured. "It was Rita's spell. You do belong with us."

"It's not that … Well, it's not _just_ that," he corrected.

"The outsider feeling?" she questioned and the look he gave her said she was right. "I know we look real close but overall we haven't been. Billy and I grew up together, our families were always close and we both excelled in academics. I'm nowhere near Billy's level but I'm good. My grandfather owns the local dojo, I've always studied because it's a family tradition so I met Jason when he started taking lessons. That doesn't mean I _liked_ him." She giggled. "No, he was just some dumb jock to me back then. I never looked closer. Kimberly and Jason always ran in the same circles but they didn't really hang out or anything. A lot of people figured they'd end up together but it wasn't because they even liked each other. Just Jason was captain of the football team and Kimberly was head cheerleader and most popular girl. Her main thing is gymnastics but I didn't know that until we started hanging. Zack moved to town just before Rita's first attack. None of us knew him as anything but the new kid. Jason knew him a little more but only because Zack joined the football team. Then Rita attacked, Zordon called on the five of us since we matched the Power's requirements, and we got to know each other _fast_. We stopped spending as much time with others and started spending most our time together. Our old friends were all shocked at us all coming together like that." She paused, deciding that didn't sound good so she added, "We do still have our old friends, none of us forgot them. We just usually only see them when not with the team. The chess club doesn't care to see the football players, things like that."

"I never would have guessed you guys weren't always close," Tommy admitted.

Trini smiled. "Give us a month and no one'll ever guess you weren't always part of that too."

"Just a month?" he questioned, grinning.

"Yeah. I'm giving time for you to be stubborn here or I would have said a week." She tossed him the ball. "So you joining us?"

"A month." He thought on that for a long moment. Then his Persian blue eyes met hers and he nodded once, almost but not quite a bow. "We'll see." They walked over to the court, Tommy tossed Billy the ball and said, "You're math's too good."

"Too good?" Billy questioned as he caught the toss.

"If it'd been a little off, I might have thought you just missed the basket."

"I _did_ miss the basket," he responded.

Trini laughed. "Give it up, Blue Boy, I already admitted it was a setup."

"I didn't say I missed on accident," Billy finished.

Zack laughed. "Seems our Greenman's hard to fool. Way I see it, that's a good thing in a teammate."

"Greenman?" Tommy repeated.

Billy said, "They like color based nicknames. You'll get used to it, Greenman."

Tommy shook his head. Obviously that was going to stick. "They call you Blue Boy, huh?" he returned, smiling.

He made a face. "Yeah. Just because I'm a year younger than them."

The smile almost slipped from Tommy's lips at that. _Please don't let them learn my age,_ he thought. He turned to Jason. "Yours?"

"He's Red Man," Zack said. "Or Rex."

"Huh, I see a pattern here. So what's that make yours, Trini? Yellow Girl?" Tommy asked.

Trini made a face very similar to Billy's earlier. "No one's stuck one on me yet. And if that one sticks, I'm blaming you."

Tommy turned to Kim and smiled softly. "You'd have to be Pink Beauty."

Kim blushed redder than Jason's uniform. It took a moment, but she finally managed to say, "I think I'd like that. From you."

Tommy missed the obvious flirting from lack of experience. His old life sure didn't have anything like this to compare. He turned to Zack last.

Zack answered before he could ask. "Mostly they just call me Zack or Zackman. I think it's fear that the whole black community of Angel Grove would run them out if they went around calling me Black Man."

The five laughed, Tommy just smiled at their laughter. He didn't get what Zack just said at all. Growing up a slave in the bayou, Tommy had been surrounded by a multitude of cultures and backgrounds but his place was always at the bottom of the social structure. The prejudices and struggles of the free were something the slaves never heard about. They were especially well guarded against hearing anything about the blacks and their move from slaves to free people through the years. Slave owners like Seetha had no ambition to have their slaves getting ideas about being free.

Tommy didn't know that such information had been carefully hidden from them, he just knew that whatever Zack was talking about was well understood by all the others. He had no wish to point out how different he was, so he didn't ask why the community would complain about such a thing.

***

Watching this scene from her balcony, Rita fumed. "He's mine," she said to herself. "I chose him, I made him powerful, I'm not giving him up. Zordon can't have him. He's mine and I'm getting him back." She turned, stalked off. "Or no one will have him."

Rita started towards Finster's work rooms but abruptly changed direction. It wasn't a creation she needed to get the boy back. She headed to the communications chambers. She knew just who to call.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	15. Miscommunications

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 15 -- MISCOMMUNICATIONS**

Billy heard someone teleport into the Command Centre's main room. He pulled himself out from under the console he was upgrading and headed that way. He wasn't sure who would be there so late at night … or early in the morning, he corrected his own thought, seeing it was after six. The others didn't tend to get out of bed until just before school unless there was an attack, and no alarms had sounded.

"Do your dreams often come true?" he heard Zordon asking as he walked through the door and saw who had joined them.

Tommy shrugged. "Ones that feel like this _always_ do. I know it sounds weird …"

"Only to humanity," Zordon assured him. "All people of the Grid know of and revere such seers, Tommy. Many have suspected that such prophetic dreams are a power of the Green Dragon Line which, if that is true, might explain why those powers work so well for you."

Tommy shrugged again, uncomfortable. He didn't know where the Green Power came from but the memories he could just almost see within it were all tinted with darkness, destruction, and greed. He shied away from them.

Zordon asked, "Have you ever … changed what you have seen in such a dream?"

"Sometimes," Tommy responded softly. "I … one time, I saw Harry killed. I stopped that but he was still hurt."

_He already shows signs of his power,_ Zordon thought to himself. _Why I didn't think of it. Of course the child of prophesy would have seer dreams._

Feeling uncomfortable with his unintentional eavesdropping, Billy walked in and made his presence known. "Hi Tommy."

Tommy spun around, his light green eyes quickly found the Blue Ranger, changed to Persian blue as he relaxed. "Oh. Hi Billy. I didn't know anyone else was here."

"I often work on systems when I can't sleep," Billy offered. "I overheard part of that, I hope you don't mind. You think you had a seer dream that's bothering you?"

"Uh, something like that. I guess."

"Well maybe I can help. What's the dream?" Billy asked. He didn't believe in visions of the future, no one can see what hasn't happened. He refused to consider the idea of predestination. In his mind, such dreams are simply the mind's way of dealing with troublesome issues, and Tommy certainly had plenty of issues to deal with, having been evil and all. Billy wished one of the other Rangers was there. They were all better at human relations than him. While Billy greatly respected Tommy's strength of character and will, he suspected Tommy respected all the others' abilities more than he ever could Billy's. But since he was the only one here, he would just have to do his best to help.

"That is a good idea," Zordon said to this. "Billy should know how he needs to adjust the scanners."

Tommy shuffled his feet slightly, his gaze locked on a spot on the floor. "It starts with Zack practicing for a dance contest and losing confidence in himself when he trips up during practice. The Youth Center shakes. Rita's sent Lokar after us and he sends us to this island. We meet this guy and he gives us information that might get us home."

Billy frowned. There had to be more to it than that, nothing in that description told anything of what was really bothering Tommy. He said, "Zack hasn't entered a dance contest in over a year. It doesn't seem very likely."

Zordon stated, "Do not dismiss this so lightly, Billy. Lokar is the guardian of the Island of Illusion, a very dangerous place where your own fears can destroy you. If you find yourself in this place, keep faith in yourselves, support each other. The only thing that can save you from your greatest fears is your own strength of will and self confidence."

A long moment passed in silence. Finally, Billy said, "It's almost time for school. We should get home and get ready or we'll be late."

Tommy glanced at him then Zordon with sky blue eyes. He shrugged. "Yeah. I'll see you there." He teleported out without another word.

"He needs your support, Billy. Even if you have trouble believing what he says, try to listen," Zordon told Billy.

"I'm trying. We all are," Billy said. "But Zack hasn't shown an interest in those dance competitions since we became Rangers. I know psychic abilities are common in other species, Zordon, however every case I've ever heard of in humanity has been a hoax. The future hasn't happened yet, how could anyone see it before the decisions are made? It is much more likely that he's having nightmares based upon his guilt and fears from Rita's spell." He teleported home.

***

Billy frowned as he watched Tommy enter their homeroom almost halfway through the period. Mrs. Applebee looked up with a frown that changed to a smile when she saw him. She didn't say anything about the tardy, some reason she _never_ said anything when Tommy was late. Billy almost expected that lack of reaction from her anymore. That wasn't what caused him to frown. No, it was that Tommy ignored the seat Jason saved for him, ignored the Rangers' greetings, and moved to the very back of the room and sat beside Bulk and Skull once again. Ever since that evening in the park when he finally joined them for basketball, Tommy had been sitting with them, speaking to them. Now he was back to avoiding them?

"What's up with Tommy?" Zack asked. "Everything was cool last night."

Billy turned back to face the rest of his teammates. "I believe my reaction to something he said this morning might be a contributing factor."

"This morning?" Kim repeated. "He just showed up. When did you talk to him?"

Billy hesitated. "I was working this morning and … overheard him talking. Some dream he had was worrying him, it sounded like a nightmare caused by a guilty conscience to me."

"I'll talk to him later," Jason said.

The bell rang and the five Rangers gathered their books. At the back of the room, Tommy had his head on his desk and didn't react to the bell. Skull nudged him slightly, whispering his name. Tommy sat up, he looked half asleep.

"Rough night?" Bulk asked.

Tommy gave a small, strained smile. "Something like that." He stood up, grabbing his bag from the floor as he did, his sky blue eyes followed the other Rangers' exit. "Worse morning."

Skull glanced around, saw no one in hearing range. "Battle we didn't hear about?"

"No. Just …" he drifted off. _I've always had visions,_ he thought to himself, _and no one believes in me. How could they? I don't believe in myself. I'm not like them, I don't belong. I'm just a slave, it's all I've ever been. How am I supposed to become something else simply because I have no master? I don't know what I'm doing here._ "Nothing. Philosophical differences, that's all."

The three boys walked out of the room together, splitting up at the door. Bulk and Skull headed to math while Tommy made his way to American History.

Tommy frowned as Mr. Broughton rambled on about battles of the Civil War. Tommy tried to pay attention but his words made no sense, Tommy had yet to figure out why the sides were fighting or anything else that let him distinguish between the Blue and the Grey. Tommy's thoughts drifted back to that morning and Billy's reaction to his presence in the Command Centre, Mr. Broughton's words a low murmur in the background.

Billy had seemed uncomfortable with Tommy's presence and completely dismissed every word he said. It bothered Tommy more than he wanted to admit. Tommy felt great respect for Billy. Billy wasn't afraid to be himself even if that wasn't what others thought he should be. He had a brilliant mind and he wasn't afraid to show that nor did he think less of others for not being able to do what he did. He loved and supported his friends, he fought for what he believed in even when the odds were stacked against him. He showed no fear. Even when Tommy fought him while under Rita's spell, Billy showed no fear. Even though Billy knew the Green Ranger to be talented enough to take on the whole team, when faced by him alone, Billy stood brave. That he didn't win, _couldn't_ win didn't phase him. He still stood strong and Tommy would always respect him for that. Which only made it hurt worse that Billy seemed to think so little of Tommy.

The bell rang and Mr. Broughton dismissed the class. "Mr. Oliver, would you stay a moment?"

Tommy placed his book back in his bag and stayed seated. When the classroom was empty but for them, Mr. Broughton asked, "Did you hear a word I said today?"

"I …" Tommy hesitated, then admitted, "I was trying. I don't understand, what were they even fighting about?"

"There were many issues, the main one being slavery," Mr. Broughton explained. "Your family just moved here from France, wasn't it?"

Tommy nodded. He'd added that line to help explain when they didn't seem to fit, to cover if they spoke French where someone else could hear.

"There are several other students that also transferred from over seas that have problems learning everything they need to know of our history. Even ones like Mr. Bulkmeir who have been here since third grade still come across things they don't have the background to understand. Because of this, I hold a special class through homeroom period on Thursday and Friday. I suggest you join us." He scribbled a note and handed it to Tommy just as the bell rang. "Give this to your next teacher."

***

Tommy sat in English class, waiting for the final bell to ring. He'd long given up on trying to pay attention to any class today. Too much was on his mind, he was too tired, the other Rangers kept trying to corner him. The only thing he was thinking of this time was getting home and pretending the day never happened.

The bell finally rang, Tommy was halfway out of his seat, his book tossed in his bag when Mrs. Applebee said, "Tommy. Would you mind staying a moment?"

Tommy collapsed into his seat with a groan. The other Rangers also kept their seats so Tommy could only assume they planned on ambushing him into 'hanging out' with them again.

"You're not in trouble," Mrs. Applebee assured as she sat on the desk next to him. "Even if you did spend my whole class daydreaming."

Tommy smiled at that, a hint of humor in his Columbia blue eyes. "Can I get in trouble with you?"

Mrs. Applebee grinned. "Let's just assume the answer is yes and not test the theory."

Tommy laughed. "So that's a no but you'd prefer I don't take advantage of that?"

"Interesting slant on the English language," she responded. "I wish to ask a favor, Tommy."

"What kind of favor?" he returned, his tone guarded, his light green eyes watching her warily.

Mrs. Applebee noticed his tone. It was the same way Kevin reacted to such wording, she feared it was for the same reasons. When Kevin told her what the Green Ranger said was his reason for saving him, she'd immediately thought of those scars.

"As you know," she began, carefully not saying how he would know, "I recently adopted a son. Because of Kevin's past, he has a hard time … feeling safe. I was talking to him about how to help him feel safe and my nephew suggested martial arts. Kevin loved the idea, his hero is the Green Ranger after all. He said he wants to learn to be as brave and strong as the Green Ranger, though he was a little nervous at learning by himself. Would you be willing to teach Kevin and my nephew Kyle?"

Tommy stared at her with shocked green turquoise eyes. The Green Ranger, brave and strong? He sure didn't feel that way. "I -- I don't know how to teach. I don't … Why me? There's lots of people here already that teach. _**Why me?**_"

"You'd be a good teacher," she said. "You know what not to do. Kevin will feel safe with you and he'll be safe. I know that if anything did endanger him while he's with you, you wouldn't hesitate to protect him so _I_ feel safe leaving him with you." _Because,_ she added silently, _I think you need it as much as he does._ "Please, Tommy? Kevin needs this."

"Jason teaches, he'd keep Kevin safe," Tommy pointed out.

Mrs. Applebee hesitated on how to respond to that, partly because he just had to name one of the few students that were still in the room. "Jason is a good kid," she began. "I'm sure Kevin would be safe with him too but I don't think Jason could instill as much trust as you already have. I think you understand where Kevin's coming from better than anyone else I know. Kevin needs this, Tommy. He needs _you_."

Tommy nodded. "I'll try."

***

Finster approached Rita. "My queen," he said. "Doctor Dread called. He said he accepts your contract and will be here in two days."

Rita laughed. "Finally! Good help is so hard to find!"

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	16. Dr Dread

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 16 -- DOCTOR DREAD**

The five original Rangers saw Tommy standing outside the door to the American History classroom after school and they immediately headed his way. It had been three days since any of them spoke to the Green Ranger, since Billy saw him in the Command Centre that morning, and they meant to find out why he was avoiding them all.

"Mr. Broughton," Tommy softly said as his teacher exited the room.

"Mr. Oliver," the man greeted, smiling. "Is there something you needed?"

"I, uh." Tommy dropped his gaze to the floor, said, "I read those books you suggested, on the Civil War and that period."

Mr. Broughton raised an eyebrow at that. "Those books I recommended this morning? You read them already?"

"They're all in the library and I wasn't hungry so I read them through lunch. Anyway, there's something I was wondering. Those slaves that suddenly found themselves free, how did they deal with that?" Tommy looked up, his pale blue eyes locked with his teacher's gaze. "None of those books said what they did. How do you learn to be free? I mean, if slavery's all you've ever known, you don't just … just become someone different because there's no master."

Mr. Broughton met Tommy's eyes, saw how much this question meant to the child, and had no idea what to say. He knew the history, he could tell most anything about the Civil War itself, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Movement, but something told him this child was not asking about any of that. The emotion in Tommy's voice and eyes, the hesitation, the wording, it all told him the question was much more important than that. "I'm … not sure. I think it is different for each individual. Why don't we step into the classroom and discuss it further?"

Tommy shook his head. "No, I, uh, I should be going. Sorry to bother you."

"You're not bothering me. Mr. Oliver … Tommy, why does this matter so much to you? How is it personal to you?"

"It's not," Tommy said in a tone that screamed it was. He looked down again then took a deep breath and forced himself to meet the man's eyes again. "It is not personal for me. I'm going now, forget we ever spoke."

Tommy turned to leave, froze for just a second as he saw the five Rangers standing so close behind him, then rushed off passed them. The Rangers started to follow after when they noticed Mr. Broughton shake his head in confusion, a slight frown marring his brow.

"Mr. Broughton, are you okay?" Trini asked of him.

"I'm fine, Miss Kwan," he said, confusion clear in his voice. "I just … I can't seem to recall why I'm standing here," he breathed to himself.

The five Rangers shared a look. Billy asked, "Did I hear correctly, Tommy Oliver is in your foreign transfer student class?"

"He is."

"How many books did you suggest to him on the Civil War?" Kim asked.

"There's eight main books I recommend," Mr. Broughton told her. "If you'd like, I can get you the list. They're all available in the library."

"We heard," Zack said. "Tommy read them all today instead of eating lunch."

"He did? I'm glad to hear he's taking my advice though I'm not sure skipping meals is the best way to go about it. If you see him, tell him I have an advanced listing if he'd like to know more on the subject."

The Rangers shared another look. "Yeah, we'll do that," Jason said. "Come on guys."

They rushed off. Once in the park, away from prying ears, Jason said, "Is it just me or …"

"Did Tommy somehow or another make Mr. Broughton forget that whole conversation?" Trini finished the question for him.

"Perhaps we should bring this discussion to Zordon," Billy suggested. "If the Green Dragon truly has such a power, it would be best if we were all aware of it so we can see to it Tommy receives any training he needs in it's use. I highly doubt that Tommy consciously called upon the power."

They teleported out.

***

Tommy dropped his book bag off on the bed. Harry wasn't home yet, he had an after school art class. Instead of leaving a note, Tommy knelt beside the small snake that was curled up comfortably on the ratted out chair that was the only living room furniture they had. "Saoirse, tell Harry I'll be busy tonight. Bills are coming due and we're short but I am not working the streets. I'll hit the drug house the kids were talking about, get the money we need and close down their business in one go. There's sandwich stuff in the fridge or he can go to the Youth Center, I'm leaving money in the drawer. Got all that?"

The snake raised her head and nodded then settled back in. Tommy grabbed a tool roll which he secreted under his shirt and headed out.

***

Rita stood on her balcony with Dr. Dread, looking for Tommy. None of her usual people were present, only her, Dread, and Dread's Takers, as that was a condition of Dr. Dread taking the assignment.

"Does it always take you so long to find the only Green Power on this powerless world?" Dr. Dread drawled, unimpressed with the witch. While Rita was queen of her small corner of the universe, Dr. Dread held more worlds in his direct control. He usually would refuse any job from one as low as Rita Repulsa however the idea of a Green Dragon Ranger fighting with a team of Zordon's intrigued him. He wished to see this child for himself.

"I find him easily most the time," she responded, carefully modulating her tone and choosing her words. It would do her no good to make an enemy of one such as Dr. Dread. "I just have never found his home. He must live in the Command Centre, it is the only place on this nowhere world I cannot see."

"Or he shields his home with Power."

"He's just a boy, he has no idea of the true range of Power within the Green Dragon," she brushed his words off. "He can call upon even less. It was only my spell that made him fit the Green Dragon, he has none of the spirit of one. -- Ah! There he is … What is he doing?"

Dr. Dread focused his own vision on the place her scope viewed, caught his first glance of this already infamous Green Ranger. He laughed. "He's breaking into that house. With the spirit of a Green Dragon, I would say." He waved Rita off. "Go now, I shall take it from here."

Rita's eyes flashed at this dismissal within her own castle. However she followed the words, unwilling to chance angering Dr. Dread.

Dr. Dread watched until the young Green Ranger left the house which he'd robbed and set out across a clearing, then he sent his Takers after the boy. As trained, the Takers didn't give the Ranger a chance to morph and before long, they had the boy captive and returned with him. Half of them did, anyway. Dr. Dread was laughing as he turned to face his Takers and their captive. Even without being able to morph, the boy took down a dozen of his best men. _And that witch thinks the boy doesn't have a Green Spirit._

Tommy glared at the laughing man but said nothing. He easily recognized Rita's throne room and absently wondered why neither she nor anyone else he knew was present.

"Welcome young traitor," Dr. Dread said. "It would seem the witch knows nothing of the one she chose for the Green Dragon. She assured me you were in no way a Green Spirit yet I observed your activities this evening and all I saw was a Dragon." He stepped forward and lifted Tommy's shirt, removed the tool roll. "Take him."

The Takers dragged Tommy off.

***

"I will speak with Tommy concerning this possible power soon," Zordon said once his chosen finished telling him what they'd seen and sharing their conclusions. "For now …"

A shrill alarm sounded through the Command Centre and was just as quickly silenced. Turning to the Viewing Globe, the five Rangers watched as their sixth was taken by a large team of black clad men.

"No!" Kim exclaimed when Tommy disappeared with the unknown force.

"Who was that?" Jason asked.

"Takers," Zordon answered. "It would seem Rita has enlisted the aid of Dr. Dread."

"_Aid_?" Trini repeated. "Does that mean he's of equal rank to Rita in the Evil Alliance?"

"Dr. Dread outranks Rita greatly. I can only assume that it is the young Green Ranger's rather odd position that drew his attention enough for him to even contemplate working with her."

"Who is Dr. Dread then?" Jason asked. "What does he want with Tommy?"

"He is the Dark Emperor's most prized torturer, awarded with the rule of over a hundred planets for his success in breaking those that stood in opposition to the Dark Lord's reign."

"He -- he's going to torture Tommy?" Kim stammered.

"What do we do?" Trini asked.

Billy immediately went to the controls, started scanning. "I shall endeavor to find Tommy before such harm may befall him."

***

Harry returned home, saw Tommy's bag but no sign of the other boy and no note. "Saoirse," he called and the serpent slithered over, Harry picked her up. "You seen Tommy?"

Saoirse hissed and Harry frowned. "I hope he's careful," he said mostly to himself. He made his way to the fridge. "Sandwiches sound fine, I'm not that hungry anyway. I want to be home when Tommy returns."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	17. Torture

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 17 -- TORTURE**

Dr. Dread watched the young Green Ranger as he lay completely still upon the table on which he was strapped down. It was an unusual reaction. Most his prisoners struggled against their bindings, which caused them to first tighten then to send jolts of electricity through them, weakening them even before Dread entered the room. Most his prisoners continued to struggle, even struggled harder after discovering this. Very few were intelligent enough to stop struggling after experiencing those effects but never before had he seen someone that simply didn't struggle at all.

Dr. Dread entered the room and saw the young Ranger's blue-gray eyes following his movement but still the child did not struggle. "Do you know who I am, child?" he questioned.

"You are a professional torturer," Tommy quietly responded. "You take pleasure in others' pain. I couldn't care less what name you answer to, those of no honor have no name."

Dread laughed. "I do enjoy such audacity in my subjects, young traitor. Such ones are always fun to break, to see which ones are only talk and break easily and which ones last. I suspect you will fit the former category, child."

Dread called the first device to him. Tommy's eyes locked on the device. He had the unfortunate experience of immediately knowing what it was capable of doing as the Green Powers decided this would be a great time to share it's damnable knowledge with him. Dread saw this understanding in Tommy's dark green eyes and smirked. He made a show of connecting the device to Tommy, preparing it. It wasn't often he had a knowledgeable victim. As he jammed the needles through the boy's fingertips, Tommy cried out in pain and Dread laughed. Yes, it looked like he was right. This young Green Ranger would break easily, he had just enough of the Green Line within him to know what was coming, not enough to stand against it…

He frowned, suddenly less than sure of what he was seeing. He had scoffed at Rita saying the boy didn't fit the Green Dragon at all, thinking her easily fooled. But what if that wasn't the case? Just how much did the boy truly fit the Color he wore? Could Dread really believe what he saw or was the boy playing the part and just that good an actor? Dread didn't move as it was too important that he figure this out now, that he didn't allow this child to fool him. His reputation would be ruined if he was conned by a mere Earth boy. Dread grabbed Tommy's chin and pulled his head around, forced the boy to meet his eyes.

Tommy concentrated all he had on convincing the torturer to believe what he saw and heard; Tommy needed him to believe. It almost seemed to work but then Dread tightened his grip and said, "You are convincing, child, but one must be wary of underestimating anyone that can wear the Green Ranger armor. I'll have my answer now."

Dread forced his way into Tommy's mind, his thoughts. He rammed his way through everything Tommy was, saw everything Tommy ever saw, ever felt, ever thought. When Dread was finished, he knew Tommy's _everything_. He knew Tommy had been acting, following a plan to outwit him. And as he knew everything Tommy ever experienced before, he knew exactly what Tommy's pain threshold was. Dread whispered inside Tommy's thoughts, 'I will make you forget them all in me.'

When Dread finally pulled back from him, released his chin and the mental hold, Tommy was truly deeply terrified. And Dr. Dread enjoyed this fear.

"I'm disappointed in you, child, trying to play me like that. You will find the remainder of your days very unpleasant. I will fulfill my agreement with the witch, breaking you. Then," he chuckled. "Then I will take you with me. I will have fun with you for the rest of your life, child. And I will not allow you to die until I tire of you. I do not tire easily."

At that moment, Tommy believed him. Dread finished hooking up the device and adjusted the settings based on what he now knew of Tommy. Despite trying hard not to think about what all the damnable machine could do, Tommy wondered what he would start with.

Finished with the adjustments, Dread met Tommy's eyes with a sinister smirk. He pressed the first command and Tommy screamed as his blood seemed to turn into molten fire only to then burn with an artic cold. It went on forever, time lost all meaning. Yet through it all, Tommy could feel Dread staring at him, enjoying his pain. Tommy screamed and swore at Dread in every language he knew until his throat seized up and no more sound would pass his lips.

***

"I found him," Scorpina quietly told Goldar. "Dr. Dread is here."

"Dr. Dread has him?" Goldar hissed.

She didn't respond immediately, she felt the same fear she heard so clearly in Goldar's voice. "He'll survive," she finally said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than that she believed this.

"He's strong, I'll give you that. But Dread is … He could destroy him."

They fell silent. After a moment, Scorpina said, "We must call our Lord. He won't allow his death."

"Or he'd kill him quicker," Goldar said in agreement. That would be better than the torture Dread was putting their friend through now.

"No. Our Lord will want him." Scorpina glanced around again to assure they were still unobserved. "I will call our Lord now but we must find a way to get him free or there will be nothing for our Lord to claim."

Goldar thought a moment. "I will handle that. -- Take care, my love. If Dr. Dread catches us …"

"It is simple, my love," she said with a grin. "Just as you said. We must ensure we are not caught."

***

"Subterfuge isn't your strong point, Goldar."

Goldar turned to face the voice, guilt and fear in his eyes. Seeing Finster standing there alone, he wasn't sure what to think. Surely the old monster maker couldn't possibly believe he could stand against Goldar alone.

Finster held out his hand, showing some unknown device. "The child does not deserve the treatment Dr. Dread delivers. Give this to whichever Ranger you speak with, they can use it to enter our shields this once. The Blue Ranger will be able to work it, I am sure. I will assure you are not observed."

Goldar accepted the device. "Why do you help him?"

Finster hesitated on any answer to that. In truth, he wasn't sure why he was doing this. Something about the young Green Ranger just called to him, leaving him no other choice. But what was it? He thought back to every encounter he had with the boy and could find no true answer. So he gave a partial truth. "He was always kind to me. I suppose I like him. Why are you?"

"He's a true warrior," Goldar said in his own true yet far from complete answer.

***

Harry woke late the next morning. Tommy still wasn't home nor did it look like he had been home. Everything was just as Harry left it when he got in bed last night. "Saoirse!"

The snake slithered over and Harry picked her up. "Have you seen Tommy today?" Receiving a negative answer, Harry cursed. "Something's wrong. Here." He held his book bag open to Saoirse and she slithered inside. Harry closed the bag most the way and threw it over his shoulder. Harry tried the communicator Billy gave him first but when he called to Tommy there was no answer. So he teleported to the Command Centre.

"Harry!" Trini greeted in surprise the moment he appeared. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for my brother. What else'd I be doing?" Harry responded. He glanced around. Billy was working at one of the consoles, it looked like Trini was helping him. Kim had been pacing the floor and crying, now she was trying to hide that from Harry. Zack, Jason, and most importantly Tommy were not present. "What happened?"

A heavy silence fell. Harry walked over to Billy. Of them all, he felt the most comfortable with the Blue Ranger, so he asked of him, "Billy? Is Tommy okay?"

Billy stopped working and turned to face Harry, the answer clear on his face. "He was captured last night," Billy calmly explained. "We have yet to locate his exact position nor find our way through their shields however he is alive somewhere in Rita's castle. I promise you I will not stop until we have him back."

Harry stood completely still for a moment, not a hint of emotion allowed through. Just like Tommy, Billy couldn't help but think. Finally Harry nodded once, asked, "What can I do?"

"Go home," Kim said. "Cover with your family. We'll call you."

Harry sneered. If she thought he was leaving while his brother was in trouble, she didn't know a thing about him. "No one to cover with," he said matter of fact. "We have the place to ourselves this weekend."

Billy said, "I'm recalibrating the scanners. I would welcome your assistance."

***

Jason walked out his front door, had to fight himself to appear unworried. He hurried as much as he felt was safe as he made his way to the park where he could escape prying eyes and teleport to the Command Centre. As he rushed, he silently cursed the upcoming holiday seasons. Most the year, he could have teleported without worry the moment he was out of his parents' sight. Now, half the town seemed to be out in their yards, decorating for Halloween.

"Jason," a vaguely familiar calm but gruff voice said as he entered the park and Jason almost cursed aloud. He didn't have time for this. He turned to face the only vaguely familiar voice… and fell into a fighting stance.

"Goldar," Jason growled angrily.

"I'm not here to fight you, Ranger," Goldar assured.

Jason didn't relax his stance. "What have you done with Tommy?"

"I have done nothing, Ranger. Rita invited Dr. Dread in and it is he who has the child. I am here to assist you in freeing him."

"Like I'd believe that."

Goldar growled. He didn't have time for this. "Rest assured, Red Ranger, I have no qualms against killing any enemy on the field of battle. There is a grave difference between that and torture for no reason other than to enjoy their pain. Tommy Oliver is a true warrior. He does not deserve what Dr. Dread has done let alone what he will do to him." He tossed Finster's device to Jason. "Believe what you will, Red Ranger, but if your lack of action causes Tommy harm, you will pay dearly for that failure. Finster created this to allow you through our shields this once. Your Blue Ranger should be able to control it. Do not fail him." Goldar teleported out before Jason could begin to react to this.

Jason stared at the spot where Goldar stood for along while before finally teleporting to the Command Centre.

"Guys, you won't believe …"

"We saw," Trini said.

"Do we believe him?" Jason looked to Zordon. The words themselves rang with truth yet Jason couldn't help but feel the truth they revealed was meant to hide the deeper reasoning behind Goldar's actions.

Zordon was hesitant to answer this one. Finally he said, "Goldar has a … different definition of honor, my Rangers, but he is true to his honor. Whatever impression the young Green Ranger made upon him must have been intense. I have never heard of Goldar calling anyone outside his own order a true warrior. He … would not speak that term lightly."

"What do we do then?" Zack asked.

Harry answered, "That's obvious. You get my brother back."

"Let me see the device," Billy said.

"Will it do what he said?" Jason questioned.

Billy finished examining it before responding. "It'll get us into the castle, at least a couple of us, but it's set to self destruct at the end of the day. As for finding Tommy within, I suppose my scanner should be able to do so once we're inside their security."

"Do we try it?" Kim asked.

"What if we get there and your scanner won't find him?" Trini added.

"I can find Tommy," Harry stated. When the Rangers turned to him in shocked silence, he continued, "Saoirse can find us anywhere." He held his hand out and Saoirse slithered out, curled around Harry's arm. Kim and Zack both jumped back fearfully and Harry laughed. "She won't hurt you. She's a good snake."

"You're saying your snake will find Tommy?" Trini asked, incredulous.

"Yes." Harry stopped as Saoirse hissed to him. He answered back, and none of the Rangers knew what to think.

"You are mage born?" Zordon questioned Harry. "You can speak to beasts?"

Harry wasn't sure how to answer that. Mage born was not a term he ever heard before. His aunt and uncle used to call him a freak before … well, back when he had an aunt and uncle. Tommy just looked at it all as natural and a hidden advantage but neither he nor Tommy ever tried to put a name to what they could do. "Tommy and I talk to Saoirse, if that's what you're asking. If we get separated, we usually ask the closest snake for help locating the other. I don't know about other animals, snakes are the only ones that have spoken to us, so far at least."

"Tommy is mage born," Zordon breathed the words to himself. "That would explain how he can hold the Green Dragon. Harry, will your snake lead the Rangers to Tommy without you there?"

Harry asked Saoirse, frowned slightly at her response. "Uh, she doesn't trust those two," he motioned to Kim and Zack. "They're too afraid. She's worried they'd step on her or try to hurt her in their fear. But she's okay with Billy, she's like him since I first mentioned him. And she's … I guess indifferent with Jason and Trini."

Jason nodded. "Okay. Billy, you and I go in with the snake. That way you can run that thing and I'll take down anyone that gets between us and Tommy."

Harry spoke to Saoirse before handing her gently to Billy and telling him, "Just put her down when you get there and follow her. I told her to make sure you could see her at all times. And she'll stop if there's someone between you and Tommy, just go the direction she's looking."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	18. Survival

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 18 -- SURVIVAL**

Tommy was barely conscious as Dr. Dread removed the most recent torture device from him. He would have sighed in relief if he could even knowing it was but a temporary respite. The moments while changing torture devices were the only ones he had to rest since this started … however long ago that was. It gave him a chance to gather his strength to resist a little longer, hold onto himself just that much longer. The Rangers would come for him, he knew that, he _had_ to believe that. It was the only hope he had to hold onto.

Then Dread stepped into sight, Tommy saw the next implement of torture, and he knew time just ran out for him. Terror burned through him, worse than it had when running from Seetha and, like then, something unknown within him reacted. Dr. Dread dropped the torture device as it burned him. All around them, the room burst into flame, objects that should not be able to burn combusted. Dr. Dread locked eyes with Tommy, saw in that moment how much he'd underestimated the child. He'd assumed Tommy knew his own capabilities, made his judgments off this, and in so doing he missed all the clues in what Tommy did know to what all was buried.

Dread stepped up to the child and knocked him out, undid the straps holding him to the table and threw him over his shoulder before exiting the room. All the tools he'd brought into that room were a loss, that mage fire burned so hot the entire room was a loss, but he refused to let this little gem escape so easily. He headed for his ship.

It wasn't his fault, he decided. It was this nowhere world. On any civilized world a mage born would be identified at birth, raised in the knowledge. It would be impossible to come across one that had no knowledge of their own capabilities. One holding such power as burned within this child's eyes would have been discovered immediately if born anywhere in Alliance space and he would have been taken and raised among the Emperor's chosen, taught the ways of whichever path burned within them. Dread knew he should take this child to his lord immediately. Yet …

If he kept him to himself, if he could keep the boy hidden from the Dark Lord and break him alone, train him alone, then he, Dr. Dread, would have a power on his side that might even threaten the mastery of the Dark Emperor himself. "I could rule," he breathed as he turned the corner. The hardest part would be figuring out what type of magic flowed within the child. Once he had that, the rest would be ...

The snake struck before Dread was even aware anyone was there, the fangs sank deep into his thigh, the poison burning him. He fell to his knees, his unconscious burden slipping free of his grip and hitting the floor unnoticed by him.

"Tommy!" two voices called out as one. The Red and Blue Rangers rushed over to his side. Jason kicked Dr. Dread back down the hallway, the man hit the far wall and slumped over, unconscious or dead, Jason didn't care which. His attention was locked on Tommy.

"Is he …" Jason started but he couldn't make himself finish the sentence. Billy didn't respond, just went on scanning him.

Tommy groaned lowly as he swam back to consciousness. A small smile touched his lips as he recognized the forms of the morphed Red and Blue Rangers over him, his dark green eyes shaded to light blue. He'd made it. They'd see everything was okay now. They were heroes and that's what heroes did. A hiss drew his attention and he turned just a bit to see Saoirse. "Hey girl," he said through the pain of a raw and torn throat. "Come here." She wrapped around his wrist and up his arm.

Jason and Billy shared a look at their teammate hissing to the snake but they didn't react in the same shock they had over Harry. After all, Harry had said both brothers could talk to the snake.

"Can you walk?" Jason asked Tommy. He received only a confused look in response. "We need to get out of here, bro."

"He's pretty hurt," Billy murmured as he read the scan results.

"If I help you up, can you stand?" Jason tried.

Tommy just stared at him for far too long before understanding finally dawned in his dark emerald eyes. "Don' know," he answered honestly, his voice rough and painful.

"Let's try, okay?" Jason waited until Tommy gave a slight nod of acceptance. Between him and Billy, they finally managed to get Tommy to his feet, Saoirse moved to drape herself over Tommy's shoulders. It quickly became obvious that Tommy would not be able to stand without both their aid.

"Guess we just hope we don't run into anyone on the way back out," Jason breathed. They headed out. Jason was just starting to think they'd make it, the teleportation room was just around the next corner, when two dozen Takers rounded that corner headed towards them. Billy led them to hide within the shadow of a doorway and they waited with bated breath for the Takers to clear out. Unfortunately, half a dozen of them stopped in front of a nearby doorway, talking quietly to themselves as the others continued on. It was soon clear they were there to guard wherever that door led and they had no plans on leaving their post anytime soon.

Jason mentally reviewed their options. He could leave Tommy with Billy and take on the six Takers. He was sure he could take them, after all Tommy took down a dozen of them unmorphed. That was usually his first choice and as far as he'd think before acting. Taking down six unknown opponents before they could sound the alarm might be challenging but Jason Scot was never one to back down from a challenge. He looked for them, the bigger the better, which is why he accepted the Power to begin with. He'd been known to forget everything else when the chance to prove himself against a new opponent arose. And, before Tommy, he always won those challenges. Part of him wanted to take on these men to prove he could beat them at least as quickly as Tommy took down twice their number. He glanced at Tommy, saw the exhaustion, saw he was on the edge of losing consciousness again. He met Billy's worried gaze, saw the strain half dragging Tommy through the corridors was placing upon him.

"'m tired," Tommy slurred.

"Just a little longer," Jason promised. "We'll get you home safe then you can rest."

"'Kay. Trust y'."

Jason could see the trust Tommy put in him, a trust it hadn't taken Jason long to realize was rare for the other boy. Jason wasn't sure how he earned it, was almost positive he didn't deserve it, but he swore to himself he wouldn't fail in it. At that moment, Jason realized his own arrogant pride didn't matter. This wasn't about Jason, it wasn't about his need to prove himself against all comers. It wasn't even about Billy, his close friend and teammate that he'd always stood to protect and was willing to die for if needed. It was about _Tommy _now and that changed everything for Jason. Tommy was more than just someone he'd fight for or even someone he'd die for. For the first time in his life, Jason had found someone he'd live for, even if it meant giving up some pride to do so.

Jason scanned the hallway behind them, looking for a way to sneak off, to run from a confrontation like he'd never done before. There was nothing to hide them, nothing he could use. He turned to Billy, and his eyes caught sight of the device Goldar gave him. "Blue Boy," he breathed softly. "Can you get us out of here without that device?"

Billy looked at him in confusion. "Yes. Their shields are to keep us from 'porting in, they have no block on us teleporting out of their own teleportation control room."

Jason grinned. "Then let's make it blow early. Slide it down the hall, blow it, and take the distraction to go home."

Billy frowned. He'd hoped to be able to stop the self destruct and study the device when they returned home. However Jason's plan was better than anything else he could think of at the moment, definitely better than Jason's usual challenge them all style. He shifted his arm out from behind Tommy, letting most Tommy's weight rest on Jason, and worked quickly to reset the timer in the device. As he'd thought, it wasn't at all difficult to make it explode early, the only difficulty would arise from trying to stop it from blowing at all.

"Ready?" Billy asked.

"Do it," Jason ordered. Billy knelt down and slid the device across the floor, hidden in the shadows. He stood and once again took part of Tommy's weight upon himself and they waited.

A blast went off down the hall and the six Takers immediately responded. Five ran down the hall towards the blast, one remained at the door. A stun bolt from the Red Ranger's blaster took him out silently and they moved on. Once around the corner, they entered the teleportation control room and Billy punched the command on his communicator to return them to the Command Centre.

***

"Tommy!" Harry exclaimed the moment they appeared within the Command Centre.

"Har," Tommy breathed, wincing in pain. Jason and Billy took him to the medical lab and laid him in one of the beds. Harry followed them, took Saoirse from around Tommy's neck so she wouldn't get in the way of them helping Tommy. Tommy's eyes were drifting shut, it took too much to stay awake, but he could feel Harry's worry. "Don' worry, petit. 'm bien."

Harry just looked at him. He looked worse than Harry had ever seen, and that was saying something considering their lives. Tommy's voice sounded torn, like he'd screamed until he couldn't anymore, and Tommy's accent was showing through. That was something Tommy was overly careful not to allow and that showed how very far from 'well' he truly was. "Menteur," Harry responded softly. He took Tommy's hand in his. "You won't leave me."

Tommy smiled though the motion stretched bruised skin. "Jamais de la vie," he swore. "Epuise."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He knew sometimes sleep wasn't safe after some injuries. He looked to Billy, saw the confusion on his face. "He said he's tired."

Billy nodded. "Sleep would do you good, Tommy," he said. "Do you need a sleep aide?"

"No," Tommy said in a painful whisper. "No drugs ever." His eyes met Harry's, confirmed the other boy okay, then his eyes drifted shut, asleep almost immediately.

"What else did he say? If it's not personal or anything," Billy added the last as an afterthought. He set the medical equipment to begin treating Tommy's injuries and monitor him as he spoke.

Harry said, "No, not personal. He said he's fine, which in Tommy speak means he's in horrid pain and possibly near death but doesn't think anyone should worry about him for anything. I called him a liar since there's no way anyone could describe him as well at the moment. When I told him not to leave me, he promised he wasn't, said he was tired. That's all." He hesitated, then asked of Billy, "He will be okay?"

Billy nodded. "The Power will heal him. I'll be staying here tonight so I'll be available if he needs any assistance. The medical lab does most the work, bathing him in Power and directing its flow, my presence will mostly be so he doesn't wake alone. You're welcome to stay as well."

Harry smiled, petting Saoirse's head. "I'm staying."

Jason asked, "What kind of snake is she? Her bite sure took down Dr. Dread fast."

Harry looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah but she only bites if me or Tommy are in danger. She'd never hurt anyone if they weren't hurting us. -- Tommy said she's a young jarararcussu. We don't know how she ended up here, we just found her and we kinda adopted each other."

The name didn't tell Jason anything. He looked to Billy who said, "A Brazilian snake, one of the most venomous snakes in the world. I doubt we have to worry about that Dr. Dread anymore."

"You're sure she won't bite any of us?" Jason asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Jason, she's part of our family. She won't hurt anyone unless they threaten us. Relax."

***

Dr. Dread was angry at his own weakened condition. He'd come close to dying in that corridor because the Power Rangers had that damned snake of the Green Ranger's with them. It was one of the few things on that world with the power to injure him, it's bite having enough poison in it to kill over thirty Earthlings, it was enough he would probably lose his leg over it. And even worse, he now owed his life to that weakling, Finster!

Now he was being sent away, _sent away_, by that witch! She was trying to be diplomatic about it, trying not to anger one so much higher than she, but she had no talent for diplomacy even if Dread was in any mood to fall for her lies. He'd leave when Finster finished treating his leg as the witch 'suggested', he'd return to his palace to heal. Then he would be back. Those Rangers would pay for doing this to him! Every single one of them would die a slow and painful death for this. Every one of them _but_ the young Green Ranger. He _would_ claim that boy as his own. This only slowed down his plans, nothing more. It was coming.

***

Tommy woke silently, his eyes scanning the room. He smiled to himself as he saw Billy asleep over a console he'd obviously been working on. Harry was asleep at the next bed over from Tommy, Alpha was plugged in to charge, Zordon was resting as well. It looked like this would be his best chance to finish this without anyone knowing.

Pushing the overwhelming pain back and forcing his muscles to work, Tommy turned off the monitors and equipment on his bed and slipped off silently. He moved to the other room to teleport out, not wanting the light of the teleportation to disturb anyone. Within seconds, he was once again within Rita's moon castle. Silent as a shadow, he moved through the corridors until he reached the docking bays. It took almost no time to find Dr. Dread's ship, seconds to override the security upon it and enter. He smiled to himself when he saw his tool roll and the money he'd taken from the drug house laying in plain view aboard ship, two things he could not afford to lose.

Twenty minutes later, he'd finished sabotaging the ship, and just on time. Dr. Dread entered the docking bay, carried on a cot by his Takers, Rita, Goldar, and Scorpina accompanied them to see them off. To make sure he left immediately, it seemed to Tommy. Tommy slipped back into the shadows of the bay and made his way behind the grouping as the Takers took Dr. Dread aboard his ship and closed up.

Rita, Goldar, and Scorpina stood to the side watching, no words were spoken. As Tommy hid a few yards away watching everything, the seconds seemed to creep by before the ship finally started up, rose off the docking bay floor. It was outside the castle's atmosphere bubble but not out of sight of the launch pad when the ship exploded, incinerating everyone and everything on it. While Rita, Goldar, and Scorpina were occupied with staring in shock at this display, Tommy quickly turned to make his way out.

Scorpina stepped away from Rita and Goldar to face the main bay, scanning suspiciously. Goldar moved to her side, quietly asked, "Looking for something?"

Scorpina saw him then, a green shadow quickly disappearing around the corner, and simply motioned slightly in the direction. Goldar saw him and had to concentrate to suppress a laugh. They watched him disappear then turned back to Rita before she could notice their wondering attention. Rita would never suspect Tommy, they knew. She'd never believe he could get in without her knowing.

"Worthless man anyway," Rita commented to herself. She turned and headed back in. Goldar and Scorpina bowed to her as she passed then waited until she was gone.

"Our Tommy's still there," Goldar finally said.

"The Power Punk's have no idea who they invited in," Scorpina added. "Tommy outside Rita's control might just be more dangerous."

Goldar hesitated, thinking of the interactions he'd viewed among the six Power Rangers. "I suspect it's Zordon who will be in for a surprise. The Rangers might just change for him."

***

Tommy returned to the Command Centre where all within were still asleep.

Billy's position looked less than comfortable so Tommy ignored his own screaming pain and carefully lifted Billy in his arms and carried him to the nearest bed. While Billy didn't weigh too much for Tommy, he was taller than him, making the move somewhat awkward but he managed it. Billy murmured to himself as Tommy laid him down but quickly settled in. Tommy pulled a blanket over the Blue Ranger, then he moved to Harry and tucked the blanket around him better before he once again laid down himself.

He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, everything he'd been through and everything he'd done since Dr. Dread appeared running through his mind, bringing up memories of his time as Seetha's. "Maybe you can't leave the past behind," he murmured to himself in the silence of the sleeping Command Centre. "I thought I could run from their evil, I thought I could forget, I only found worse evils. I'm through running. Live or die, dark or light, I'm making my final stand here. Whatever it takes."

He drifted off to sleep unaware that Billy had woken and heard his quietly spoken vow. Billy lay there for several hours wondering on those words along with several other things he or Harry said since they met. What did those boys come from and why did Billy feel they were silently screaming for help?

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	19. Recouperation

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 19 -- RECOUPERATION**

"Hey Tommy, we were hoping you'd wake up before we had to leave for school," Jason said, smiling when he saw Tommy's iceberg blue eyes finally open.

Tommy glanced around, saw through slightly blurred vision all the Rangers present and ready for school, and saw Harry sitting on the next bed over with Saoirse in his lap. It didn't look like Harry planned on moving for awhile. Tommy took a moment to take stock of himself. His head felt ready to implode, the pressure increased with any movement, it still felt like liquid fire had replaced all the blood in his body, he was still having muscle spasms and overall felt worse than he could ever remember before. But he could do this. He did it to enter the castle and take out that bastard once and for all, he could do it to assure his little brother he was okay. He took a breath, let it out slowly, and stood up.

Billy was at his side in a second. "Tommy, you really shouldn't be overexerting yourself after your ordeal."

"Ordeal is overstating it, Billy," Tommy brushed him off as he moved to Harry's side, letting none of the pain show. He gently brushed the tears from Harry's cheek and the other Rangers shut up. They hadn't realized the boy was crying. "I'm fine. No need for tears, petit. Everything's okay."

Harry looked up and met Tommy's eyes for a long moment then threw his arms around the other boy and held on tight. Tommy returned the embrace though the other Rangers saw him wince in pain. "I was so afraid," Harry breathed. "When Goldar told Jason you were being tortured … I can't lose you. There's no way I could make it on my own. I need you. Don't… promise me you …"

"Shh," Tommy breathed. "It's okay. I'm okay. It wasn't even that bad, Har."

Harry smiled softly, pulled back where he could see Tommy's face. Tommy made sure no signs of pain showed to give him away. "You're sure?" Harry asked, just a bit suspiciously. He knew Tommy, knew he would claim to be fine no matter what, but he was sure he could see through him.

"Positive," Tommy assured. "I'm not going anywhere. While I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, as it's in my power, you'll never have to find that out yourself as I'd never leave you." Harry smiled at the reassurance and Tommy said, "You need to get home and get ready for school."

"Okay. I'll see you after classes." Harry teleported out and Tommy almost collapsed back onto the bed.

Billy helped him settle more comfortably upon the bed. "I believe ordeal is a most fitting term."

"But not one Harry needs to hear," Tommy said. He clenched his eyes shut. "I don't suppose you could dim the lights? Thanks," he added as the lights dimmed. "How long's this gonna last?"

"That depends on how often you insist on slowing your recovery down," Billy responded. "While reassuring your brother might be necessary I cannot see how lying to him is. Nor was it intelligent to turn off the bio-bed last night and … and carry me to bed like some child."

Tommy heard the disgust in Billy's voice. It seemed the Blue Ranger couldn't even stand the thought of Tommy touching him. Tommy didn't want to admit even to himself how much Billy's reactions hurt. In an emotionless voice he said, "Fine, next time I'll leave you be. But how my brother and I interact is not your concern. Harry's been through enough, I _**will**_ protect him from any harm I can. There's no reason for him to be hurting just because of worry over me."

The apparent ease with which Tommy wrote off the whole experience angered Billy. If he wouldn't even take his own health seriously how was Billy supposed to heal him? A part of Billy couldn't help but wonder if Tommy would take it more seriously if any one of the other Rangers was the team medic instead of him. His voice rising in anger, he said, "If you don't care about your own health, why should I even --"

Tommy winced. "If you're gonna yell at me, could you at least wait until my head's not trying to implode?"

"Billy," Jason stepped in, laying a calming hand on the Blue Ranger's arm. "Relax man, this isn't like you. Tommy is taking this serious and staying in that bed all day while we're in school. Right, Tommy?" The last was an obvious command.

"Yeah. 'Course," Tommy agreed.

"Set the controls and let's go, Blue Boy." Jason released Billy's arms and watched as he punched in commands with a little too much force. When he was done, Jason told Tommy, "I'll check on you at lunch."

"Not necessary."

"Maybe not, but I'm still doing it. Let's go."

The five teleported out. When they appeared behind the school, Jason grabbed Billy's arm and questioned, "What is up with you and Tommy?"

"Nothing," Billy disputed. "I don't know. I just … he doesn't listen."

Jason frowned. "We've all done stupid things when hurt, Billy. You've never yelled at any of us for it."

"I know. It's nothing," Billy brushed it off. _He doesn't respect me at all and I can't blame him. He's right, I'm no fighter. I shouldn't be here._ "I'll talk to him later."

"Without yelling?" Jason felt he'd slipped into an alternate dimension or something, having to ask Billy Cranston a question like that.

"Without yelling," Billy promised.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	20. Hinted Past

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 20 -- HINTED PAST **

"I understand how hard this must be for you," Zordon began the moment the others were gone, "but you must try to get along with my Chosen."

Tommy just laid there for a long moment, trying to ignore the pain still raging through his body. "I know," he finally breathed in response.

"Settle whatever is standing between you and Billy soon, child. The team cannot function with such discord."

"I know," he said again. Tommy was well aware how the teamwork between the five others was their greatest strength while alternately, their complete reliance on that set team was their greatest weakness. It was for that reason, while under Rita's spell, that he tried to take them separately as often as possible.

"Speak to him after his classes today."

Tommy sighed. "I'll talk to him." _I don't know what I'll say,_ he thought to himself. _He doesn't like me at all. I think he knows I'm not pure enough for this team._ He lay there thinking on that for awhile until he finally drifted to sleep.

Jason woke him when he showed at lunch. "Hey bro," Jason said, smiling. "I brought food."

The thought of eating had Tommy wide awake, he sat up on the bed and gladly accepted the food. He finished his before Jason could take more than a bite.

"Man, when's the last time you ate bro?" Jason said at this.

A guarded look entered Tommy's light green eyes. He thought for a moment on how to answer that. He'd been captured on Friday night, everyone was in school today so it had to be at least Monday. "Don't know," he admitted after a moment. "How long was I gone?"

Jason didn't respond immediately. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Today's Tuesday, bro. I should've made sure you had breakfast before we left, too. You want some of this?"

Tommy shook his head and laid back down. "I'd just get sick if I eat more right now. Don't worry about it. I couldn't've eaten anything this morning for nothing."

"I don't know why it didn't occur to me they wouldn't feed you. Man, you could've starved to death if we hadn't found you when we did!"

"S'okay," Tommy reassured tiredly. "I wouldn't've starved. He didn' want me dead. Gave me enough water t' keep m' alive."

Jason looked at him a moment. "Are you okay? I mean really okay?"

Tommy hesitated. "I will be."

Jason nodded. "What did Dr. Dread do to you?"

"Jas. Could we just not talk about this one?" Tommy softly asked. "Just let it be over?"

"Okay bro, I'll leave you alone on it," Jason assured. "I've gotta get back to class. You need anything before I go? Or you need me here?"

Tommy smiled at that. "No bro, I'm fine here. Just need sleep."

"Then I'll see you after school." Jason teleported out.

Tommy blinked and when his eyes opened, Billy was sitting on the floor, tools surrounding him as he worked on a nearby control console. It took Tommy a moment before it finally occurred to him that he must have been sleeping -- and soundly enough that Billy's entrance didn't wake him. That was something that Tommy's survival instinct never let happen before.

"Billy?"

Billy stood and walked around a corner, returning a moment later with a bowl of soup. "Here, you need to eat," Billy said. "This'll be easy on your stomach."

"Thanks," Tommy murmured. He started eating, forcing himself to take it slow. "I didn't hear you arrive."

"You were sleeping," Billy pointed out.

"Yeah. I don't usually sleep that sound."

Billy shrugged. "You're healing, it's normal." He paused. "The others already returned home for the night. Harry didn't come up today because Jason told him we're doing Ranger only stuff, so you have our leader lying for you now."

Tommy finished the soup and sat the bowl aside before turning his full attention to the Blue Ranger. "Billy, what do you tell your parents you're doing all this time? You tell them you're running off to fight aliens or what?"

"Of course not! I keep the Ranger Code."

"So you lie to them," Tommy responded easily.

"That's different. Harry knows."

"Yeah he does and that does make it different," Tommy agreed. "But we're still all lying to someone. And Harry and I …" He drifted off, his gaze locked on his lap. "He's been through a lot. I'm just … I'm trying to protect him."

Billy just watched Tommy for a moment. "I see that," he finally breathed. He was seeing something else too, he just wasn't sure what it was or what he should do about it. "Tommy. I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning. It wasn't really about Harry."

"I know," Tommy breathed, not looking up. "Don't worry about it. It was my fault anyway."

Billy frowned. "Could you explain that to me? How is my yelling at you for basically nothing your fault?" He waited a moment but Tommy didn't respond. "You blame yourself for too much." He hesitated. The medical scans suggested past abuse, something he really didn't want to think of being true. But it would make sense with Tommy's taking the blame on himself for whatever happened around him. It would explain the odd comments from him and Harry as well. While Billy was sure almost anyone else would be better suited to speak to Tommy on this, he was the only one that saw those scans and it wouldn't be right for him to show them to someone else. So he supposed it was up to him. He just wasn't really sure what to say. "What is it that happened to Harry? When he first approached us, he told us you saved his life."

Tommy shook his head. "We had some … bad things happen, I guess. It's why we moved here."

Billy sighed. It looked like he would have to be more forward with this. "You have a great amount of scar tissue."

Tommy's head jerked up at this, a guarded look in his light green eyes. Billy continued, "I didn't run a deep scan on you, Tommy, just detailed out current injuries. Many of your current ailments were in old scar tissue. Are those injuries from 'bad things', Tommy?"

Tommy looked away again. After a long wait, he finally said, "Good things rarely leave scars."

Billy tried to catch Tommy's eyes. Failing, he finally just asked, "What happened?"

"It's over," Tommy breathed. "He can't touch us again." Tommy couldn't say in his own thoughts whether he was speaking of Seetha or more of Dr. Dread.

"Tommy…"

"It's over," he said a bit stronger. Billy guessed too much already, Tommy wasn't giving him more information. He couldn't chance it. There's no telling what would happen to Harry if they were put in the system but he knew exactly what would come for him. Seetha bought him from a children's home and they set up a legal adoption. He'd be seen as the runaway son and sent back to his 'father'. He wasn't sure how Seetha would greet his return, whether he'd simply be punished and forced to live in that hell again or if he'd finally kill him. "Leave it alone."

Billy looked at him a moment before finally nodding. Obviously they'd been abused before and they were taken from that situation. The important part was they were safe now. Well, as safe as one gets while fighting a war at least. "Okay. You're healed enough you should be able to return to school tomorrow."

"Good," Tommy breathed, more on Billy's dropping the other subject than in response to being able to return to school.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	21. Lokar

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 21 -- LOKAR**

Billy frowned as he, Trini, and Kim watched Zack practicing for the dance contest to be held at the Youth Center in a week. Something about it was nagging at him but he couldn't place what. There couldn't be anything wrong with Zack entering a dance contest, he loved to dance and he was really good at it too. In fact, he'd won many dance contests back before they became the Power Rangers. He'd stopped entering then and concentrated instead on the team. Really, Zack feeling confident enough on the Rangering to return to his old pastime was a good thing.

Jason finally joined them. Noticing he was alone, Billy asked, "Where's Tommy?"

"Mage training," Jason answered in a low voice but not whispering. According to Tommy, people were more likely to notice a whisper than just normal speech. "I think Zordon just got carried away today."

Kim clapped. "Great moves Zack!"

"Yeah. He's gonna blow them away at the dance contest," Trini said.

No one else seemed to feel anything off on it so Billy pushed the feeling aside for the moment.

Zack fumbled a move and knocked into Skull who fell against Bulk, making Bulk spill his smoothie all over the two of them. Neither one of the bullies said anything to Zack which Billy found odd. The two headed out of the Youth Center. As they were passing Billy, he heard Bulk say, "It'll wash out. We'll change at my house and wash it there, your dad will never see it."

Skull nodded. "Yeah. We need to hurry or we'll won't be able to watch him teaching."

"He's something else with those kids," Bulk said as they walked out the door.

Zack moved over to his teammates, looking down. "This blows. I don't have what it takes to win anymore," he said, pushing passed everyone and walking out of the Youth Center.

Billy watched him go. "Zack seems to be experiencing a transient deficiency in self-esteem."

Trini automatically translated, "He means Zack doesn't have enough confidence in himself."

Jason shrugged. "Zack is cool. He'll get over it." He led the other three over to their usual table, trusting that Zack could take care of himself. He couldn't chase after him just because he was upset over a stupid dance step after all. He had plans to spar with Tommy after the other Ranger finished giving the two boys a martial arts lesson. He was hungry, he wanted to eat before Tommy arrived, then watch him teaching. Zack would be fine.

***

Rita was watching the five of them, absently wondering where her … the Green Ranger was. "I'm sick of those pinheads," Rita screeched. She exited the throne room and headed to the docking bay. Lokar would be here soon and with Mutitis to attack, she had no doubt Lokar could catch them by surprise and teleport them to the island.

***

Jason walked over as Tommy was finishing up teaching the lesson.

"No, Kyle," Tommy softly corrected. "That's close but not quite there. Keep your block here, that's where you're stronger." Seeing Jason, Tommy glanced at his watch. "Alright, Kevin, Kyle, that's good for today. Practice."

Tommy bowed them out and walked over to Jason. "Ready to spar?"

Jason smiled. "Always."

The ground shook and the kids inside the Youth Center started panicking.

Jason pulled Tommy into a doorway with him. "Why's everyone so panicked? It's just a small quake."

"It feels of magic," Tommy responded. "I think they're reacting to that even if they don't know."

Jason immediately raised his wrist and tried to call Zordon but couldn't get through. "It's blocked," Jason said. "We need to find the others."

"Right," Tommy said. They started out when Kevin called out in panic, "Tommy! What's going on?!"

Tommy stopped, torn. His crystal blue eyes met Jason's gaze and he said, "I can't leave them alone. Go on, I'll catch up."

While Jason wanted the team together if anything magic was in the air, he knew Tommy well enough to know he wouldn't leave a child he thought needed him. "Right, I understand," Jason said. He ran out the door and Tommy returned to his students.

"Don't worry guys. You'll be alright," Tommy assured.

***

Jason barely managed to finish explaining what he knew before the putties appeared. The five original Power Rangers immediately engaged. Goldar and Scorpina joined the fight and the Rangers morphed. The fight continued.

The Rangers weren't winning but somehow none of them were injured. Goldar and Scorpina pulled back each time a Ranger was knocked down, giving them the time they needed to regain their footing and continue.

"Oh no!" Kim called out and pointed in the distance. A fifty foot tall monster had appeared.

Goldar said, "Give up Power Rangers. You will never defeat the mighty Mutitus!"

The Rangers ignored him as they called upon their zords and formed the Megazord. Before they could begin the battle, Mutitus pulled out a ball and mace and attacked. The Megazord fell.

As they regained their feet, Zack brought their attention to the sky. "What's that?"

Jason frowned under his helmet at the ethereal demon-like face filling the whole sky over Angel Grove. "I don't know. Rita's definitely learned some new tricks."

Rita cackled and said, "Prepare to meet your destiny Rangers. Just wait until you see what Lokar's breath of doom does to my monsters. It'll blow you away."

"Lokar?" Billy breathed. He'd heard that name before. If only he could remember… it was like a dream.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	22. Island of Illusion

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 22 -- ISLAND OF ILLUSION**

Inside the Youth Center, Tommy leaned against the counter as he watched his two students playing arcade games. Hearing his communicator chime, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. Not having contact with the Command Centre and each other was always worrisome. He slipped into the hall to answer, hoping it was just a call to let him know systems were back up.

Zordon said, "Tommy, the Power Rangers are in trouble. You must join them in the park immediately."

"I'm on my way," Tommy promised. He returned to the counter and caught Ernie's attention. "Hey Ernie. Can you watch those kids for me." He pointed out his students.

Ernie heard the urgency in Tommy's voice and quickly answered, "Sure."

Tommy smiled. "Great. I owe you one. Hey guys," he called to the boys, his cerulean eyes meeting theirs for a moment. "Listen to Ernie okay?"

Kevin nodded, knowing Tommy wouldn't leave them if it wasn't something Ranger related. "We'll see you when you're done. Or next lesson."

Tommy rushed from the building and ducked into the side alley. "Dragonzord!"

Kevin and Kyle went to the counter as soon as Tommy was gone. Ernie nodded to them. "Turn on the TV," he told the boys. "I'm sure the network will pick up on whatever it is, we can watch the fight from here."

Kevin hesitated. "You know?"

Ernie smiled. "I notice what goes on in my place."

The moment the TV was on, everyone's attention was drawn to the battle coverage. "That's one freaky big head," Kyle said.

***

Lokar blew on Mutitus and morphed it into an even uglier creature. As it engaged the Megazord, the Rangers quickly learned it was also much more powerful. They were down before they knew it.

"We're dead!" Zack exclaimed as the mace flew towards them.

The sound of the Green Ranger's flute filled the air, drawing everyone's attention. The Dragonzord appeared out of nowhere between Mutitus and the Megazord, blocking the attack and giving the others time to regain their feet.

Megazord and Dragonzord teamed up against Mutitus and for a moment it seemed they were winning. Unfortunately, this placed their backs to Lokar. He took advantage of this distraction to attack, knocking all six Power Rangers out of their zords and to the island.

Trini looked around in fear. The whole team were there, wherever that was, and they were all unmorphed. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Jason said. "One of Rita's spells must have teleported us here. Is everyone okay?"

Billy answered, "It would appear that we all survived the trans-dimensional journey intact."

Zack raised his wrist to call Zordon. "Not quite intact," he said, sounding panicky. "My communicator's gone. And my Power Coin!"

The other Rangers immediately checked themselves, discovered all their Coins and communicators missing.

Kim looked frightened. "We can't even contact Zordon."

Trini looked and sounded just as scared. "I guess we're on our own."

Zack said, "Man this is not cool."

Jason took command. "Let's have a look around."

"Yeah," Kim agreed. "And figure out where we are."

They walked off in a huddled group. Tommy followed behind them silently. Billy noticed this and fell back with him.

"I recall where I heard the name Lokar before," Billy said. "I was thinking the memory was like a dream but in reality it was a nightmare. Your nightmare."

Tommy barely glanced at him. Billy just barely caught a glimpse of Tommy's azure eyes before his gaze dropped once again. "I told you those kind of dreams come true," Tommy softly stated.

"What happened? Or will happen, I suppose," Billy corrected himself.

They walked in silence for a long moment. Finally, Tommy simply said, "We have to survive the island. When all have been tested the way should appear." He shrugged. "I don't know. The island itself wasn't very clear. I think we'll find help here though."

Zack suddenly blurted, "This place is freaking me out!"

Kim agreed. "It's weird. It feels like these bushes have eyes."

Zack stopped suddenly, Billy almost ran into him. "Man," Zack breathed. "I coulda sworn I just saw this … this …" All the others were looking at him now. He said, "Forget it."

"No," Tommy said. "Who did you see?"

Tommy's wording gave Zack just enough confidence to approach the bush he thought he'd seen someone behind. "I knew I saw something!" he said in an excited whisper. "Hey guys, look here."

They walked up behind him and they all see a dwarf man. Kim stepped forward slightly and said, "Hello."

The man jumped up, frightened and startled.

Kim continued, trying to keep her tone light as she would with a wounded animal, "Do you think you could help us? Rita …"

"Rita?!" the man exclaimed, saying the name like it sickened him. "Stay away and don't come near. That wicked witch has sent you here. No friend of hers is a friend to me. You can't fool Quagmire no sirre." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Was it something I said?" Kim asked, sounding truly confused.

Goldar's face appeared in the sky, like Lokar's had appeared over Angel Grove. "Did you lose your precious Power Coins?" he gloated. "You'll soon lose more than that."

Over a dozen monsters appeared at his words. Kim pointed to them and said, "Look!"

Zack groaned. "Great. No Coins, a strange little person and now we've got an island full of monsters."

"That we thought we destroyed," Trini added.

"They're charging," Jason warned. The team fell into fighting stances but before the monsters reached them they disappeared.

Billy said, "That was strange."

"What kind of place is this?" Zack demanded.

Goldar said, "A place where nothing is real except the danger. Welcome to the Island of Illusion."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	23. Zack

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 23 -- ZACK**

Zack said, "Oh man this is too weird." He turned to Jason, his eyes big, freaking out. "I don't think I can handle this," he said, backing up, then turning and running off. The others followed after. Zack stopped suddenly, screaming in fear at the huge snake on the branch right in front of his face. The others caught up with him.

"What's the matter, Zack?" Tommy asked, looking around for what could have the Black Ranger reacting so fearfully.

"That's the matter!" was the panicked response. "That huge snake."

"What?" Jason said, seeing nothing.

"Can't you see it? It's gonna bite me!"

Kim said, "There's nothing there Zack."

"I hate snakes! I hate snakes!" Zack was really freaking out now. "No man! Get it away from me!"

Trini said, "Zack really, there is no snake there."

"Keep it together," Tommy warned. "You're seeing things. Rita knows you're afraid of snakes. She's using that."

Billy agreed, "Rita is trying to make us doubt ourselves and is using our own fears against us."

Zack pushed passed the other Rangers, putting distance between him and the snake he couldn't believe wasn't real. "We can't fight something like that," Zack said in a resigned tone. Then softly, "I don't feel so good."

Kim gasped. "Zack! You're fading away!"

Billy said, "Your molecular integrity is fluxing to an inverse ratio to your level of self esteem."

"What?" Kim questioned, sounded lost and annoyed.

Trini translated, "The more Zack doubts himself the less there is of Zack."

"Just hang on man," Jason ordered.

"He's getting fainter," Kim said.

"There's no use," Zack said. "I can't fight Rita's magic."

Quagmire appeared and, seeing them, started to leave. But he stopped as his eyes landed on Tommy. He pointed directly at Tommy and said, "With that witch you should not be for everything depends on thee."

"We're not with Rita!" Kim exclaimed. "Please help us. Rita's making Zack disappear."

"You're no friend of Rita's? Then Quagmire's glad to greet ya." He ran over to the Power Rangers. Seeing Zack's state, he said, "To keep from getting caught, think a positive thought."

"Is this guy for real?" Jason asked softly, earning a glare from Quagmire.

Billy said, "If lack of confidence is the operative factor it just might work."

"Try it Zack," Jason ordered, taking Billy's word.

"Okay. If you think it'll work. Here goes," Zack breathed. Then louder, "How the hell am I supposed to think positive?"

Tommy told the other Rangers, "Remind him of a battle won, something he fought alone or found the way to defeat."

"Uh, Zackman, remember that knight you fought!" Jason called out. "You said you didn't think you could win, you thought he was too tough for you, but you hung in there and you won. And you did it alone, none of us were there. Just you."

"I did," Zack said, remembering. His form returned completely. "I'm here! Thanks Jason! And Tommy, thanks." The other Rangers ran up to him, Zack turned to Quagmire. "Thanks for the help."

"My pleasure and welcome back but the key was inside of you Zack."

"Yeah maybe," Zack said, "but we're still stuck here."

***

Continued.

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	24. Kimberly

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 24 -- KIMBERLY**

Quagmire turned to Tommy, ignored the others and spoke to him alone. "On this island forever you stay unless the fates you can sway. For nothing to arrive can ever leave unless fate you can deceive. On you Green Ranger all fates do rest. Only you can change this test. No others power can truly conquer thee when in yourself you do believe."

Jason frowned. "We need to believe in ourselves? That's all?"

Quagmire pointed prominently at Tommy. "Only he and he alone can save you from this island stone. To change the path of fate you see only he may succeed. Only the Child of Prophesy."

"The what?" Tommy questioned, not sure he really wanted the answer, the hesitance clear in his bright green eyes.

"The Child of Prophesy. You are the one they said would be. The one of all the prophesies. You are the one in Green that shines in Light. You are the Tomi. You are fate's greatest Knight."

"What prophesies?" Billy asked.

Quagmire quoted, "Two of Power shall arise, as opposite as their names alike. Two choices will destiny write. Knowledge and peace one shall strive. Power and strength one shall hunger. Generations will know their ways. One of Power shall arise with the name of Power's sake. One's choices will destiny rewrite. Sorrow and hunger the one shall know. Sorrow and fear the one could bestow. Hope and strength one could sow. Generations await one's ways." He paused. "On a world of green and blue where magic is lost to the people's eyes the child will arise. Both dark and light he shall roam a different path. Neither man nor child still, he'll see the lies of all the sides. He alone shall hold the power to rewrite the universal fate."

Quagmire smiled at Tommy and said, "Many more words have been spoken still. Of the Child of Prophesy many books have been filled. All they say in the end is you Green Ranger must make the way. You alone can save the day."

The ghost head of Goldar spoke again. "No one can save you from the Island of Illusion. Now for an illusion for Kimberly's confusion."

"No way," Kim breathed. She walked a short distance from the others and stared into an empty field. "I don't believe this."

In the empty field, she saw Bulk and Skull as angels, complete with wings and halos and shining auras. They were … the word frolicking came to mind. She'd never really gotten what that was when it came up in one of those books Mrs. Applebee assigned but watching them it seemed to fit.

Angel Bulk held up a hand to stop Angel Skull. "Hold my good friend. I spy a defenseless forest creature in need of our assistance."

Angel Skull said, "Thou speakest truly Monsuir Bulk and it is a fine and noble creature. I must come to its aid with great haste."

"Au contraire my noble Skull, never in my bliss filled dreams would I consider troubling you so. Allow me."

Kimberly frowned in confusion. "Skull? And Bulk? Being nice?"

Jason asked, "What are you talking about? There's no one there, Kim."

At the back of the gathered Rangers, Tommy looked at her with clear disapproval. Under his breath, he said, "You're greatest fear is Bulk and Skull could be decent people?"

Billy glanced back at him when he overheard the softly whispered words but he said nothing.

"Kim, are you okay?" Zack asked.

"Um, I … I don't know," Kim breathed, still staring at the empty field.

Angel Skull said, "Let us partake of this charitable deed together."

Angel Bulk laid a friendly hand on Angel Skull's shoulder. "Together."

Kimberly turned her back on the field as the two moved to assist the creature. "If Rita can make them act like that then she can make _anything_ happen."

Billy stepped away from the others to speak privately with Tommy. "She's demolecularizing. You need to help her."

"How?" Tommy asked quietly. "Her fear is that people she doesn't like might be good. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Quagmire said you are the only one that can do so. Think of something."

Tommy shook his head. "He said I was the only one that could get us off the island, he didn't say I had to be your confidence and strength of will." He pierced Billy with his hunter green eyes and said, "Even if he did the guy's mental! I'm not … I'm just … just me. Nothing."

Tommy walked away from the others and Billy let him go. It seemed Tommy would have to find his own confidence before he could get them home. And Billy had to admit Tommy was correct. Quagmire didn't say it had to be Tommy to keep them together until he could get them home. So Billy let him go and instead tried to think of something that would help Kimberly.

Trini called, "Quagmire! Quick! Save Kimberly!"

Quagmire was staring at Tommy but turned to them at Trini's call. He stared at Kim a moment, mentally scanning her, looking for a memory that would give her strength. Finding one, he spoke the words to bring the memory forth in her mind. "I'm told you're frightened to the marrow but stay your course straight as an arrow."

"Oh no, not the toad creature. That was way too gross," Kim said, but even with that, she stopped fading away, started returning. "He was big and ugly and … I was the only one whose weapon could destroy him so I just did what I had to do," she finished, the confidence building in her voice with each word. By the time she was through she'd completely returned.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	25. Billy and Trini

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 25 -- BILLY and TRINI**

"It's no use," Billy said. "All my scientific knowledge can't get us out of this one. I've failed." He started to fade away.

"No Billy," Jason said in a commanding voice as he and the other original Rangers surrounded the fading Blue Ranger. "It's not your fault. Don't let Rita get to you."

Billy shook his head. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. I don't know how to fight, I'm pathetic."

"No," Tommy said, pushing passed the other Rangers and placing himself right in Billy's face. His cerulean eyes stared straight into the Blue Ranger. "Don't you _**dare**_."

"What?" Billy responded, shocked into paying full attention to Tommy.

"You can't give up, this team needs you. You're too important to the team," Tommy stated. "Don't use the words I said under that damned spell as a reason to give up. You are not pathetic, you deserve to be on the team. The whole reason I targeted you at that time is because you are the _most dangerous_ enemy anyone could have. Yeah, some of them are better in a physical fight than you but any warrior knows the physical might win a fight but it's not going to win any wars. The _mind _wins wars. Tactical knowledge, scientific knowledge, the ability to outthink your enemies, that's what wins wars. That's what you have. Don't you dare give up on us, Billy, 'cause we need you too badly."

Billy was completely solid once again by the time Tommy finished speaking. He just stared at his newest teammate for the longest time. "You barely ever talk to any of us," he said after a moment. "Why speak so passionately for me?" _Especially when you didn't for the girl you are so obviously attracted to._

"What can I say?" Tommy responded. "You're worth the effort."

The other Rangers watched them in a state of confusion. They could tell they were missing something and it seemed to have something to do with that time Billy was attacked by the Green Ranger right outside his own home. But Billy never told them anything beyond he was attacked and the Green Ranger left after defeating him.

"You truly mean that?" Billy breathed.

Tommy smiled. "Of course, man. On my honor."

Billy met Tommy's eyes with strength and a pride of self unusual for him. From that moment on, no matter what, he'd willingly die for this man and he knew beyond all doubt that Tommy would do the same for him. It was an even stronger connection than he'd forged with any of his other teammates, he didn't even really understand how it happened.

"You're saying all that like it means more than it should," Jason said. "What are you talking about?"

"It's personal," Tommy and Billy said as one.

The ghost head of Goldar spoke again. "You may think you've won but the game has just begun."

Trini moved away from the others, sat on the ground almost hidden in the foliage.

"Trini are you okay?" Kim asked.

"I'm afraid Rita will come after me next," Trini breathed, her eyes darting around fearfully.

"That's what she wants you to think," Jason said. "Don't let her get to you."

Trini's eyes focused on nothing some distance above them all. "No! Billy! You're too high up!" She watched as Billy climbed to the top of a cliff, putties attacking him along the way. The other Rangers saw only Trini beginning to fade.

"It's Rita's illusion," Jason told her. "Think positive!"

Tommy asked Billy, "Is it just an illusion or is it something that happened?"

"I …" Billy thought a moment. "I recall an event whereupon it was necessitated that I …"

"Billy," Tommy cut in. "Did she conquer her fears then? You've fought beside her along time, use it."

Billy nodded. He walked over and knelt beside Trini. He thought carefully about what he had to say. "You beat this, Trini. I know you've always feared heights but you beat it that day. Remember? I was being overwhelmed by the sheer number of putties and you climbed up there with me. We fought side by side on the top of that cliff and we won. Together. We won because you are stronger than your fear, Trini."

"I remember," Trini softly said, returning completely. She smiled at Billy and took the hand up he offered. "Seeing you up there was scarier than when I actually climbed it myself. At that point I was more afraid of losing you."

They rejoined the other Rangers. Billy, Trini, Kim, and Zack looked at Jason and Tommy now, waiting for one of them to be targeted.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	26. Jason

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 26 -- JASON**

When more time passed than had been between any of the others' hallucinations, Jason said, "Maybe Tommy and I just don't have fears she can play off. Come on, let's find our Power Coins and get out of here."

_Everyone has fears,_ Tommy thought in silence. He followed after Jason along with the others. Maybe they would get lucky and find their way home before the Island struck them.

Goldar's ghost head said, "If you were a real leader, Jason, you would have saved your friends already."

Jason stopped in his tracks. "He's right. I should have figured a way out."

"Don't listen to him, Jas," Zack immediately responded. "Rita's just trying to make you doubt yourself. You're a great leader!"

"No, I should have done something," Jason disagreed. He turned abruptly when he heard his team cry out in fear.

"We're disappearing! Jason help!" Kimberly called but before Jason could even open his mouth they were gone.

"No! They're gone!" Jason exclaimed in a pain-filled voice. "They were depending on me and I let them all down!" He began to fade away.

Zack turned to the others in lost confusion. "He thinks we're gone! How can we help him if he can't see or hear us?"

Quagmire met Tommy's dark green eyes. "You alone can reach through, make him believe in you."

Tommy stared at Jason's slowly fading form, watched and listened as the other four tried in vain to reach him. "How? What do I do?"

"Inside you know you're power's great. You can win, just concentrate."

"Concentrate? I don't know …" Tommy looked at Jason again, saw there was no time to wait. He walked over, his cerulean eyes stared into the older boy's unseeing eyes. "Jason. You must hear me, see me. I'm right in front of you, you're not alone."

"Tommy?" Jason said in confusion. "Everyone's gone. I … I thought you were lost with them."

The other Rangers fell silent, stared at Tommy in shock. Tommy smiled at Jason and assured, "No one's lost. You haven't failed anyone, bro."

"I saw them disappear," Jason argued.

"Just from your eyes," Tommy said. "Everyone's here, worried about you. You have to stop doubting yourself, Jason. You're a great leader, you're a great Power Ranger, and you're an even better person."

Jason wasn't fading anymore but he also wasn't coming back. "I don't know. I've made so many mistakes at this, if they're really okay it's not because of me."

Tommy started to speak then stopped. He took a deep breath, his eyes shifted between emerald and dark emerald as he spoke, saying more than he felt comfortable admitting. "You're my hero. You saved me. You broke her spell and set me free and then you saved me. You know, I expected to die that day. I wasn't going to fight you after the spell was broken. If that had been your plan that day then I would have died. But you're a better person than that. You gave me what no one's ever cared to give. A place to belong, a reason to live beyond giving Harry the life he deserves. You made me feel wanted and cared about and safe. I'd never felt like that before. I'm sure you've made mistakes, you're human, everyone makes mistakes. But you do your best and you keep everyone together. In all this time you haven't lost a single Ranger and that's more than most battlefield commanders could say. You have an amazing team. The five of you all have your own strengths and weaknesses and you cover each other where needed. I saw that at that tournament, before I even knew you were the Power Rangers. But you are the leader, Jason. You're the one everyone follows. That means _you_ are the reason that everyone is still here."

Jason was completely returned by the time Tommy finished speaking and he stared at Tommy in shocked admiration.

"Jason, you're back!" Zack exclaimed.

Trini said, "It worked!"

The four Rangers almost tackled Jason in their exuberance. Jason all but ignored them though as his attention remained focused on Tommy and his words.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you.


	27. Tommy

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 27 -- TOMMY**

"I should have started with you," the Goldar ghost head said to Tommy. "But we assumed that as the outsider you couldn't help any of them and Rita wanted you to suffer losing them all before you fell. Now we will have to settle for them simply being trapped forever on the island. But you, Green Traitor. You _will_ fall."

Tommy was once again the child slave locked in Seetha's stables. His earliest memories played forth. Memories of times when he was beaten near to death, punishment and 'training', when he could do nothing in his own defense but stay silent and take it. To fight back, to cry out, either one only made the beatings worse. Memories of some of the worst clients Seetha would send him with, how much it hurt. How he learned ways to make it easier on himself but never could make it not hurt. He remembered watching the fighters, learning the skills as best he could from that alone. His first attempt to escape failing and giving away his secret knowledge. Memories played forth of the following years where Seetha pulled him closer, tightening his hold on the young slave and increasing his duties. Of how it got better after that, he had to do less of the worst things -- so long as he stayed silent and took whatever Seetha demanded. So long as he didn't acknowledge the evils around him -- and that is what made the worst memories by far. Him watching in silence as the other children were hurt just as he'd been hurt so many times before. Saying nothing, doing nothing because there was nothing he could do that would help them. Just as no one ever tried to help him, he never tried to help any of the others. Until Harry.

Tommy closed his eyes tightly. "It's not real. Never again. It's not real. It's not real." Harry called him a hero but Tommy never could see in himself what Harry saw. Sure he saved Harry but not before anything could happen, and there were all too many he never even tried to help. Maybe he was right in his assumption that he couldn't have helped if he tried, maybe all that would have happened is he was punished along side them. But he never made the attempt and because of that he could never truly know if he could have changed anything.

Tears escaped Tommy's closed eyes and rolled down his cheeks as the memories played. "Never again. It's not real."

"How can we help him if we don't even know what he's seeing?" Zack asked. He couldn't say he liked Tommy, he wouldn't admit even to himself that his dislike came from his fear of the other boy, but he hated seeing anyone in such obvious torment. He hoped it was of Tommy's time as Rita's Ranger but some reason he felt it was more, much more than that. Tommy's eyes were always haunted. Zack noticed that about him when he first saw him at that tournament, before the Green Ranger appeared. Tommy's eyes had that same haunted and aged look to them that Zack's Uncle Brad's had when he returned from fighting the war. Harry's eyes held similar shadows though not quite as bad as Tommy's. He wasn't sure what it was, he was too afraid to ask, but it was obvious to Zack that both the Oliver boys had been though something major _before_ this war ever touched them.

"Tommy?" Jason said. "Uh, bro, give us a clue here." A clue, Jason thought to himself. Tommy and Harry both gave many clues suggesting whatever they came from was not good. The biggest clue to this, as far as Jason was concerned, was Tommy's skills in the martial arts. Or rather, the _particulars _of Tommy's skill. That night after their tournament, Jason remembered thinking back on their sparring match and thinking Tommy fought like it was about survival. It was even more obvious after Tommy became the Green Ranger. Jason believed the biggest difference in their fighting styles was that Jason never really thought of the arts being about survival until he became a Power Ranger while Tommy's actions suggested it hadn't occurred to him that it could be about anything else.

"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." Tommy sat on the ground hugging his knees to his chest and keeping his eyes tightly closed, chanting softly to himself. "It's not real. It's not real."

Tommy looked so young sitting there. They'd never noticed how young he really looked. Sure, they'd heard comments about how he looked younger than his years but it still never occurred to them. He was this tower of strength and willpower to them, the heroic knight of unknown origins that rode to the rescue. The unstoppable juggernaut, the guilt ridden soldier, but not a child. Never a child. Until now.

"He's our age, isn't he?" Trini said after a moment.

Billy suspected he wasn't but said, "I suspect we would all look really young in that position."

"How do we help him?" Zack questioned again.

"He isn't demolecularizing," Billy pointed out. "For the moment I believe we should simply endeavor to avoid disrupting his concentration."

"It's not real. It's not real," Tommy continued chanting, concentrating on remembering that fact and trying to avoid the pictures playing through his mind.

"No!" he heard himself exclaim. The fact that he wasn't speaking the words made no difference. Before him replayed the scene of Seetha beating Harry to death. "SEETHA!! STOP!!"

Seetha let Harry fall to the ground and slowly turned to face him. "T'omas," Seetha said in a soft and deadly tone, reaching up to cup his cheek with his blood covered hand. Tommy could feel the heat of his touch, feel the blood coating his cheek.

His gaze dropped from Seetha's face to the floor, though in reality Tommy didn't move his head. "Please master."

"What does dis boy mean t' y'?" Seetha demanded.

"Nothin'. It's jus' dat … Master it was m'."

"You? You spilled de food?"

"I -- I was in a hurry," Tommy stammered, and it felt so real. The words It's not real echoed through his head though and he held on tightly to that knowledge. "It took longer in de kitchens dan it shoulda an' I had de … appointment."

"An' why are y' no dere now?"

"I had t' … It's dat … I had t' come back, t' confess t' y'."

Seetha laughed. "Silly boy. D' y' really t'ink me so foolish? Y' call him brother an' now y' get t' watch y' brother die." Seetha turned back to Harry and continued the beating.

"No. This didn't happen. It's not real," Tommy breathed, still curled in upon himself while the other Rangers watched fearfully.

"You're fault," Harry breathed as his life slipped away. "You should have left me alone, I was better alone than with an evil brother."

"Harry," Tommy whispered painfully, and his form flickered. "It's not real. It didn't happen this way. I stopped him. Harry's okay. Harry would never say that. It's not real. Gotta stay strong, gotta get back to Harry. Can't leave Harry alone. Harry needs me to find the way back 'cause Harry's okay and this isn't real. It didn't happen this way. I stopped it. I saved him. It's not real 'cause Harry's alive and needs me and he'd never say that. He's my brother and we're okay 'cause we have each other. It isn't real. It isn't real. IT IS NOT REAL!!" he screamed the last, causing the other Rangers to jump in shock.

Looking at him, they breathed a sigh of relief. Tommy was still there, completely whole. "Is it over now?" Kim asked.

The scene shattered before Tommy's eyes and was replaced by another memory. Tommy flinched as Harry reached for the vampire Patrick's wallet. Patrick's hand captured Harry's wrist and Tommy stepped forward. _I'm not moving. I'm sitting. This is not real._ "No," he ordered.

"And what, child, are you doing on these streets so late at night?" Patrick asked in an enthralling voice.

"Let him go," Tommy ordered.

"Send your parents here and I will allow him to go with them."

"I'm his parents."

"Then you have failed him, child," Patrick continued. He smiled and his fangs flashed in the light. Lightning fast, he sunk his fangs into Harry's neck.

"It's not real. It's not real. Patrick never did that, he helped us, Harry's okay and it's not real," Tommy chanted and this scene too shattered and again another scene replaced it.

The Green Ranger fought beside Scorpina against the four remaining Power Rangers. They were winning, only not finishing the Rangers off to prolong the agony. Then Green Ranger saw a small boy huddled against the side of a nearby building, shaking in fear, obviously homeless. Green Ranger smirked at the sight and caught the next punch a Power Ranger threw at him. It was the Pink Ranger.

"Time to end it, little Kimberly," Green Ranger breathed in her ear. He threw her into the support wall of the building, bringing the whole place crashing down upon her body and that of the homeless boy. He laughed at their deaths, relishing in his own darkness.

"NO!!" Tommy suddenly screamed, jumping to his feet. The other Rangers fell back at his sudden movement. The vision shattered and Tommy glared at Goldar's head above them. "It _never happened_! You are not defeating me by rewriting that bitch's failures!"

As the Rangers watched, Tommy's azure eyes seemed to freeze and he glared at the head with sage green eyes. "Is that normal?" Zack asked of Billy. "His eyes … they just changed?"

Billy just shook his head no but said nothing. He wasn't sure what would cause Tommy's eyes to change like that, probably something to do with him being a mage, but he had noticed it long ago. Billy's gaze stayed locked on Tommy. He'd never seen anyone so dangerously angry and at that moment, he realized how very much Tommy fought Rita's control spell, how little of him she truly held. And he thanked the Power that Tommy was on their side, that he never had to face that anger on the battlefield. He saw, if it hadn't been a spell, if Tommy had ever truly been against them, the Power Rangers would have lost. This was the first time the possibility of the team losing really occurred to Billy. Sure, he'd thought at times that he wasn't good enough, that he didn't belong. He'd even thought he'd die at some points. But he never thought the team would lose the war because of it. He'd been afraid when faced with the possibility of his own death but he'd always assumed if he did die in this, it would be while saving the world. It never occurred to him before today that he could die _failing_ his world. Good triumphs over evil, that's what Billy always believed even if he never put it in such words before. But that was a fairy tale and this was real life.

All it took was someone Powerful enough choosing to not be good. Or could it be just as true that all it took was for those that fought for good to take it for granted they would win in the end and therefore not put forth the effort required to win? Billy swore to himself in that moment that he would not take it for granted any longer. He just hoped that it wasn't too late.

He'd brushed off Tommy's dream warning and for that reason, Billy believed them even being on this island was at least partially his fault. He ignored the warnings and now he would never know if he could have changed it all. Now they were here and it was on Tommy to get them free.

***

Continued.

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	28. Harry

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 28 -- HARRY**

"_**It never happened**__! You are not defeating me by rewriting that bitch's failures!"_

"Who are you?" Tommy demanded. The deathly quiet anger enough to cause his teammates to take a step back.

The Goldar head laughed. "You know me, Green Traitor. You fought at my side and under my command …"

"You are not Goldar," Tommy stated without a hint of doubt, his voice dangerously cold and calculating as the look in his sage green eyes. "You don't talk like him, you don't act like him, and you obviously don't know anything about me. So who does that make you? -- Lokar."

At his speaking of the name, the visage of Goldar was replaced with that of Lokar. "Knowing who I am will do you no good, boy. You will still never leave this island. Rita gave you to me, boy. _I own you_."

"No one owns me," Tommy hissed. "No one ever will again. -- _**Do not**_ call me boy. I am not nameless!"

Lokar laughed at this. "You belong to me, Green Traitor, as you belonged to Rita before that. I have watched you. I saw your Illusions. You would not know how to be without a master."

Tommy's eyes darkened slightly before settling back at the same shade of sage. He couldn't quite argue with that, though he was doing everything he could to discover such a life. But there was something off about the whole encounter. If there truly was no way off this island, why would Lokar need ... He smirked. "I get it now. Zordon told me how to get us off this island. _**You**_ are the guardian of the Island of Illusion. That's why you hid your face, your destruction is the way off."

"You can't defeat me, boy." When Tommy growled, Lokar faltered slightly but continued, "You are but a child. A _human_ child at that. But do try. Rita said you have a fiery spirit. It'll be so much fun to break you."

Tommy laughed aloud. "Didn't anyone ever tell y' Lokar," he sneered, his eyes fire red. "Y' play with fire, you're gonna get burned."

The moment the words left his mouth, the sky burned and Lokar screamed as it consumed him. When the screaming stopped, a light engulfed the Power Rangers and Quagmire and they found themselves standing in the Command Centre. Their communicators once more rested on their wrists and their Power Coins were again in their possession.

Billy stared at his Power Coin. _Was their removal just an illusion or did whatever Tommy did to defeat Lokar and bring us home also return them?_

"Welcome home, Power Rangers," Zordon said and the original Rangers cheered. Tommy smiled and keeled over.

"Tommy!" The Rangers rushed to his sides.

"He's alright," Quagmire assured. "He's just exhausted."

"You didn't rhyme!" Zack responded.

Quagmire smiled. "The rhyming was part of the curse that sent me to the island. When Tomi saved us from the island he also lifted all curses connected to it."

Zordon said, "Rangers, you must return to the Megazord. Mutitus was greatly weakened by Lokar's destruction but he can still cause great damage."

"What about Tommy?" Kim asked.

Quagmire assured her, "I will watch over Tomi."

Billy said, "Alpha, call Harry. He'll want to be with his brother."

"There is no need," Zordon assured them. When the Rangers looked to him questioningly, he said, "He is fighting Mutitus."

"WHAT!!" five voices rang out.

"With all of you missing, I had to call upon the final Power Coin. Harry is mage born and he knows all of you. While I admit he is young, he was the best option. He is now White Raptor Ranger and he needs your assistance now."

"Alright guys," Jason said, taking command. He was almost glad Tommy was unconscious at the moment. He was sure he didn't want to be present when Zordon informed Tommy of Harry's new status. "Back to action!"

They morphed back to the Megazord and engaged Mutitus beside the Raptor Zord.

"Where's Tommy?" Harry's voice immediately greeted their return.

"Resting," Billy responded. "He used quite a bit of energy in returning us here. He's okay."

***

"What will you do now that you are free, Quagmire?" Zordon questioned once Quagmire finished setting Tommy up in the medical lab. He hoped the other man didn't plan on staying. Quagmire knew too many things that Zordon didn't wish the Rangers to hear just yet.

"It's been along time since I've seen my home," Quagmire said. "I will return there as soon as your Rangers return from their battle."

As though in response to his words, the six Power Rangers returned. Harry ran over to where Tommy lay the moment the teleport completed, ignoring the strange man. He took hold of one of Tommy's hands and held on tight, his eyes locked on Tommy's face.

Quagmire met Zordon's eyes. "You cannot hide from destiny nor can you hide destiny from them. Particularly not of one of his Sight. He needs your trust." Not giving Zordon a chance to respond, he immediately turned to the Rangers. "I must be going now, it's been too long since I've seen my home. Take care of that child, Rangers. He is more than you know. More than any of you know," he added, his eyes shifting to Zordon as he teleported out.

Pushing their questions to the side for the moment, the other Rangers joined Harry around Tommy.

"He'll be okay?" Harry asked without looking up.

Zordon answered, "He exhausted himself and will need to take it easy for a few day in order to recuperate but he will be fine."

"He will have the days he needs," Harry commanded.

"We will see to it," Zordon assured. "It will most likely be tomorrow before he awakes. At that time, I will suggest to him that he spends the day here. After that, he should be fine to return to school."

"And battle? You will make sure he doesn't end up in battle until he's okay, right?"

"Of course, young Harry," Zordon lied. He would try to keep the boy from battle until he'd replenished his lost energy however Zordon knew he would send him in rather than risk losing one of his chosen. Tommy was an important piece in the war. He was the Child of Prophesy and that made him a great resource. Zordon would do anything necessary to keep the boy on his side, to assure he didn't fight against them. The boy himself wasn't as important to Zordon as the five Rangers he hand picked. If Tommy died fighting for him would mean Zordon would no longer have to worry about that weapon being used against him. It wasn't that Zordon wanted the boy to die, and not just because of the possible reactions of his new White Ranger. Zordon liked Tommy fighting for him and conversations with the child were often intriguing. But Zordon made a point of keeping a certain distance from Tommy because of the prophesies. The power to rewrite fate was always a frightening thought. To actually meet the one the prophesies spoke of was not something Zordon had ever wished to happen. Yet here he was with that same boy, a child still, fighting with the Dino Rangers.

Harry looked at Zordon now. "You better be speaking the truth, Zordon. If you betray him … if anything happens to him because you choose to look at him as a weapon rather than a person and I will make you pay."

***

Continued.

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	29. White Raptor

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 29 -- WHITE RAPTOR**

"Harry!" Tommy's soft yet almost desperate cry sounded almost before he was awake.

Harry pushed through the other Rangers and was at Tommy's bedside, holding Tommy's hand in his own, as Tommy's blue-gray eyes opened. "Hey."

Tommy smiled softly, his eyes shading to light blue. "You're okay."

Harry chuckled. "I was not the one that's been trapped on some alien island prison. Are _**you**_ okay?"

"I'm fine," Tommy said and Harry rolled his eyes. There were no other two words Tommy ever spoke that were less believable than those. "Just got a bit tired."

"A bit tired," Harry repeated, shaking his head. "You -- You keeled over in total exhaustion, Tom. That's more than a bit tired."

Tommy smirked. "Irrelevant logistics." His eyes were drifting shut again. Billy laughed aloud at this response, causing the other Rangers to look at him.

"It seems Tommy won't be asking Trini to translate my words," Billy said.

"Harry?" Tommy questioned softly, his eyes still closed. "You feel different."

"Uh," Harry glanced back at the other Rangers. "Yeah. It's nothing. You should sleep. Really."

Tommy's iris blue eyes opened and he took in Harry's appearance. The other boy was wearing all white now, and name brands. That shirt he was wearing cost more than Tommy's entire wardrobe. "What are you wearing?" he demanded, all signs of fatigue pushed away.

"Um. Kimberly, she took me to this store in the mall. She bought it," Harry began. "Seems she shops to feel better."

"You went in a mall?" he breathed.

"Yeah. It wasn't that bad. But anyway, you should sleep."

Tommy just looked at him a long moment. "What is it you don't want me to know, Harry?" he demanded.

"It is not that I don't want you to know," Harry breathed. "It's just … Don't freak out, okay?"

"Nothing good ever follows those words."

"It's not _bad_," Harry said. "_I_ think it's good. But you …" He took a deep breath and quickly said, "It's just everything you buy me is green, I don't think you even see other colors and since I'm the White Ranger now I needed some white clothing so Kimberly took me shopping while you were resting. Everything's cool, there is nothing to freak over so just -- just don't freak," he finished quietly.

"White Ranger," Tommy repeated. "You're a fucking Power Ranger now? You're a child still. How could …"

"I am no more a child than you!" Harry exclaimed. "We come from the same thing. I _know_ how to survive! All of you were gone and I was needed so I did what I had to do. But had he offered at any point for any reason, I would have accepted! It doesn't matter what you want here, Tommy. It's _my life_. My free choice."

Trying to ignore the sting in those words, Tommy said, "We do not come from the same thing, Harry. I got you out of there before it could touch you. You've been though some things but you don't know about survival and you don't know about war. I protected you from that and now…" He drifted off. "How the hell am I suppose to protect you if you're jumping in the middle of it all?"

Harry said, "You would rather I remained the powerless target they could so easily use against you then? How long do you really think it'd take them to decide the person closest to you was your greatest weakness? Or is it you want to be like --" Realizing what he was about to say, Harry cut himself off.

Tommy didn't say anything for a long moment. He couldn't really argue with that reasoning, it was logical. But his heart didn't care about things like logic. And the other words, the ones spoken and the ones Harry left unspoken, hurt more than anything. "Fine," Tommy growled as he pushed himself off the bed, his jade eyes glaring at the other boy. "You want to play war then play war. Like you said, it's not my life. Why should I care?" He started to teleport.

"No Tommy!" Harry exclaimed. "You're still tired. You need to stay here until you've rested."

Tommy met his eyes with a cold anger. "It's my life, Harry. Worry about your own." He teleported out.

"SHIT!" Harry exclaimed.

Jason rubbed his eyes. "Billy, find him. He's not in any shape to be out yet."

"He don't want to be found, you won't find him," Harry told them as Billy began the scans. "We won't see him for awhile. -- Damn! Of all the stupid things I could have said … I didn't mean it like he took it but how the hell can I convince him of that? And what I almost said! He _heard_ what I almost said!"

"He'll be okay," Jason said. "Harry, can you …"

"I'm going home. Maybe he'll actually go there." Harry teleported out without another word.

Jason watched him go. "Two Oliver boys on the team and I'm supposed to lead _them_?" A slight pause. "Think Dad'll question too much if I start reading all his psychology books now?"

Trini said, "Not if he meets Tommy."

Billy warned, "I believe Tommy knows too much psychology, Rex. You try to psychoanalyze him and he'll turn it around on you."

***

Tommy didn't even look up as Goldar and Scorpina teleported in behind him. "Hey," he said.

"Tommy," Goldar said, sitting further from the edge than Tommy did. "You think you can fly or something? Why are you always sitting on the edge of the tallest cliff around?"

Tommy smiled but didn't speak.

Scorpina said, "You look tired. Should you be out?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't need to hear it from you, 'Pina. Got too many trying to tell me what to do already."

They sat in silence for a long while. Finally, Tommy said, "Zordon made Harry a Ranger."

"We saw," Goldar said. "He fights a little like you do. Not as good though."

"I've taught him a bit but he's never had to fight. Never was in the cages. I protect him and he tells me … He thinks he's the same as me." A pause then, "I don't want him to be like me. No one should be like me."

"Why fight for this world?" Scorpina asked him softly. "What reason have they ever given you?"

Tommy stared out over the canyons in silence. His olive eyes followed the flight of an eagle. "It's beautiful," he said. "Flying free. I wish …" He shook his head. "I don't fight for those men and their sick perversities. I -- Rita took from me what I didn't think anyone could. She took something I kept safe all those years. I fight her for that. And I … The little ones, the innocent. I'll fight for them. Not sick old men."

The silence stretched again until Tommy once again spoke. "I'm not like them. I just want to live my life, I never have and never would try to own anyone. Just protect the ones I care about. That's all. Why would Harry say … Why would he say anything to suggest otherwise?" he asked, finally turning to them, his eyes imploring.

They had no response for that. After a moment, Scorpina just opened her arms to the boy, silently offering what comfort she could. Tommy shrunk back from her at first, a guarded look in his eyes. When she didn't move, just kept the invitation open but demanded nothing, Tommy shifted towards her slowly, watching her and Goldar intently. Then, finally relaxing, he threw himself into her arms, allowed her to hold him while he finally let the silent tears flow.

***

Continued.

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	30. Nameless

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 30 -- NAMELESS**

Skull just about jumped out of his skin at the light tapping at the window. Turning around, he saw Tommy sitting on the window ledge and he rushed over and let him in. "Get in here before you fall!" Skull told him.

Tommy entered, took a seat on the bed. "I won't fall," he said. "I don't know why everyone here's so obsessed with falling anyway."

Skull wasn't sure what that meant but he didn't ask. Considering he just let the kid in through his fifth story window which had no fire escape or anything nearby, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. There wasn't even a tree nearby or even a vine climbing that wall. Just plain flat wall. He knew the kid was a Power Ranger but that seemed more like Spider Man than anything he'd heard of the Rangers doing. Overall, Skull was just glad his father was out when Tommy did this. The old man would not be happy with some kid showing up even in a more normal manner.

"So why'd you pull the Spider Man act?" Skull finally asked.

"The what?"

Tommy sounded completely confused. Skull wondered where this kid was really from. Considering when he showed up and who he is, Skull wasn't even sure he was from the same planet. It'd sure explain what he didn't know. It wouldn't explain why he seemed intent on hiding his confusion from his teammates though. If they knew … Of course, if they didn't know it would explain why he was so careful in that aspect. If he wasn't human and they thought he was, he might want to keep it that way. Especially if he was related to one of their enemies. Could that be it?

"Skull?"

"Huh? -- Oh, Spider Man. Yeah, he's a comic book character."

Tommy shrugged. "I read a comic book once. It seemed too much like my life so I didn't read anymore of them."

_Yeah, the kid's definitely from a whole different world, _Skull decided. Though Bulk would point out to him that there were many places that seemed a different world right on Earth. "Okay. Trying my question again. Why the window?"

Tommy shrugged again. "I need a place to crash tonight. The word is your father's out of town for awhile so I thought you might have the room."

"The word where? Who keeps track of my father's actions?"

"There's always people that know when someone's in or not. You just gotta know how to listen."

"Okay. I think I'll just assume I won't understand half what you say anytime we talk. You can take the couch if you want," Skull offered. "You have a fight with you parents or something?"

"Something," Tommy agreed. "It's just … it's better to give some time, let things settle."

"Yeah. I get that," Skull agreed. He grabbed a pillow and blanket and brought them to Tommy. "You look dead on your feet, kid. Get some sleep, I'll wake you in the morning." He headed to his room.

"Skull?" When Skull turned to face him again, Tommy said, "Don't call me kid. I'm not nameless."

Skull froze for a long moment. _I'm not nameless. _The words repeated in his mind but in two different voices now. Adam, a boy that stayed in a warehouse in Skull's old neighborhood in his home town, was the first he heard those words from and in the same tone. He was a streetwalker that belonged to the Cartel. Skull used to stay in that warehouse with him and the boys when things were too bad at home. So long as he stayed away when their bosses were around, it was cool with everyone. Then one night, Skull walked in as Adam was talking to an older man. Skull froze and stayed out of sight. The man said something about offering to buy Adam from the Cartel. Adam stood tall and met the man's eyes, said 'I'm not nameless.' The man had laughed as he walked off, saying 'If I offer enough, they'll take that name from you, kid.'

Adam saw Skull after the man left so Skull asked what that meant. 'Some of the kids are just slaves, you know,' Adam responded. 'I'm not. I own my name.'

But Adam had been a slave. He'd been the same as any of the boys in there when Skull first met him. It was some time later that Skull realized Adam still was a slave when he spoke those words. Not _just_ a slave. Still owned, just seen as worth more than others.

"Yeah Tommy," Skull breathed, forcing the words out passed old memories. So Tommy _was_ from a different world, just not how Skull was thinking before. Everything considered, Skull wished he'd been right on the alien thing. "I'll remember that."

***

Continued.

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	31. Skull

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 31 -- SKULL**

Skull almost burned breakfast as his eyes kept returning to the sight of Tommy Oliver in his living room, doing the most complex kata he'd ever seen. It was a tiny room, probably not two feet of space to move in, yet Tommy somehow managed not to disturb anything within. It was almost like he wasn't really there, wasn't real. How else could he move like that and not even disturb the dust?

Or, Skull rethought. Maybe it was Tommy was the _only_ real thing there. Like reality itself bent to Tommy's will. Skull wondered if it was a Ranger thing, if the others might not look like this when they weren't hiding the fact they're the Rangers. _No, Tommy had that same feel about him the first time I saw him, _Skull remembered. _He said they took him after that, he wasn't a Ranger then._

Tommy ended the kata with … well, not a bow but a definite closing. It was different than any of the martial artists he'd watched in this town but then again, Tommy was different than anyone else. Tommy looked up, met Skull's eyes with his sapphire gaze and flashed a smile before disappearing into the restroom. A real smile, Skull noted. Tommy looked so much younger when he smiled like that. Too young for anything Skull knew about him.

There were so many things Skull wanted to ask him. Where he was from, his past, his family, Rangering, why his eyes were so different. He wasn't even sure of Tommy's age. But he wouldn't, _couldn't_ ask any of those questions. There was a wariness about Tommy that warned against pushing him. Ask the wrong thing and he'd lose everything he'd gained so far. No, the only way to learn this kid was to stay silent and watch and listen. Tommy would tell him what he felt comfortable speaking, if he didn't push.

"Tommy! Breakfast's ready!" Skull called over the sound of the shower. The water turned off as Skull was sitting the plates on the table. The front door opened. Skull froze as his father walked in.

The man's eyes took in the room, the two plates Skull just sat down. Tommy's jacket and book bag resting on the couch. Tommy's shoes on the floor.

"You having girls over while I'm gone, Eugene?" his father growled.

"It's not what you think, Dad," Skull began, fear tinting his words. "He just …"

"HE! You some sorta fag, boy!" His father's fist rose, Skull stepped back, falling over the chair but still not managing to avoid the punch. Skull fell to the ground, covered his face and curled into a ball to protect himself as best he could. He knew what was coming, he'd been there too many times before.

"AHHH!"

Skull opened his eyes and stared in shock at the scene before him. His father, the one time heavy weight boxer, the war vet was cowering on the floor, the remains of the side table broken around him from his landing. And Tommy, this small kid, stood over him almost casually but the look in his sage eyes was anything but casual. Cold anger, frightening and lethal. It was a look that anyone to see it aimed at them should run in terror and pray -- and it was aimed at Skull's father.

Even knowing this boy was a Power Ranger and a most skill martial artist, Skull couldn't help but see this scene as incredulous. Knowing his father didn't know either one of those details only made it more unbelievable. Skull pushed himself into a sitting position and watched, a smile gracing his lips as for the first time he could remember, Skull felt entirely safe.

The silence stretched. Finally, the man's anger overruled his fear and he started to swing at Tommy.

"Don't," Tommy said. He smirked, a dark and dangerous expression, and took a single step towards him. "You're playing with fire, old man."

The man froze, every ounce of self preservation screaming at him to run far away from this boy. But Tommy now stood between him and the door out.

Tommy kept his gaze locked on the man's, stared straight through him. "You will immediately sign over all rights as Skull's guardian to the man that's been contesting you for that all this time. You will pack your bags, hit the road, and never come back even as close as California again. You will forever leave Skull to his life, free of you and your shit." Tommy paused. "If you choose to do anything other than this, I will hunt you down and make you regret the day you were born. Understood?"

The man stammered, afraid not to answer. "Y-yeah."

"Take care of the paperwork first. You can pack while Skull's at school. Go."

Tommy watched as the man slunk around him, hugging the wall to reach the door without getting any closer to him. Once out the door, the man ran away.

Once he was gone, Tommy turned to Skull and offered him a hand up. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes now cobalt.

"I -- Yeah. I will be," Skull responded. "How did you know all that?"

"No one betrayed your trust, Skull," Tommy assured. "You told me when you referred to Bulk's father as 'Dad' the other day. And I just … I just saw."

Skull looked at him in silence for a moment, but in the end decided not to ask how he drew so many correct assumptions from so very little. Maybe it was a Ranger thing. Whatever it was, Skull could wait until Tommy was ready to speak the answers.

Tommy smiled as they sat at the table for their interrupted breakfast. "It smells good, Skull. -- We need to hurry though or you'll be late to school."

"You mean we'll be late, right?" Skull asked.

Tommy shook his head. "No, I'm not going today. I already gave an excuse to Mr. Caplin to cover for a bit of an extended absence."

"Where're you going?"

"New York. I know a guy there. We … come from the same thing."

"You'll be safe?"

"Don't worry about me," Tommy responded. "I can keep Ranger allies and enemies from finding me for awhile and I don't plan to be gone long. Just … too much going on recently. Something one of the Rangers insinuated wasn't good. I know he didn't mean it like that. I mean, I don't think he'd think of me that way. But … we just went through something and I kinda had to … say things … that I'm just not … It just left me feeling too exposed, I guess. I need the distance right now."

Skull nodded. "I _will _worry about you, I can't help that. You're my friend. Do what you need to for yourself, Tommy, but please don't stay away too long."

Tommy handed him a wrist watch. "It's a communicator, like my team uses except I built it to not draw their attention and to just contact me. You need me, call." He showed him how to use it. "And as an added feature, it keeps time too," he said with a smirk, his eyes a spring green.

Skull laughed. "Cool. I'll keep it with me all the time." He stood, grabbed his book bag. "I'll see you when you get back."

***

Continued.

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	32. Missing

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 32 -- MISSING**

Six Power Rangers gathered in the Command Centre after school, worried for their missing teammate.

"All the scans come back with nothing?" Jason questioned.

"No!" Billy complained. "Nothing would be _**easier**_! There's too much data, the scans claim he's everywhere at once."

"I told you, he won't be found until he wants to be found," Harry put in calmly from where he lounged nearby. "He's a mage, remember. He's always been good at disappearing too. He'll show when he's ready. Your principal said he's in France over a family emergency so he's planning to return. Wouldn't have bothered with a cover story otherwise."

Zack turned on their youngest. "You're not worried about your brother at all!"

"He disappeared with something bothering him. Of course I'm worried. I just know there's nothing that can be done until he's ready to talk. Whatever happened on that island really got to him," Harry murmured this last to himself.

"The island?" Kim questioned. "I thought it was you being a Ranger that bothered him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he's pissed over that. But if it'd just been him worried about me or even just mad over what I said, he would've shown back up by now. I'd tell you what the something that's bothering him is if any of you would say what happened on that island."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Finally, Billy told him, "We faced … hallucinations of our worst fears."

Harry remained silent, remembering. _"Harry!" Tommy's soft yet almost desperate cry sounded almost before he was awake. Tommy smiled softly. "You're okay."_

"He saw me killed, didn't he," Harry breathed.

"We don't really know," Trini told him. "He did say your name though."

Jason explained, "We couldn't see each other's hallucinations, just figured them out from how they responded. Tommy did the best of any of us though. He talked me and Billy back and then he faced his alone."

Harry looked at his teammates. The five of them were acting embarrassed just at the memories of that island. Those five were usually so easy with each other, seemed to share almost everything, yet they were feeling raw, exposed from this experience. It was no wonder Tommy took off.

"Tommy doesn't trust others easily," Harry softly stated, his gaze locking on the floor. "No, that's an understatement. _I_ don't trust easy. Tommy … You gotta understand, anytime anyone has seen through Tommy's shields, they've used that to hurt him. Every single time. Tommy doesn't trust." Harry looked up, met Jason's eyes. "That's why he took my words wrong, too. Then there's you guys. His own personal heroes. He wants to trust you just like he wants to trust me. Part of him does. The problem is he doesn't trust that part of himself."

"That doesn't make any sense," Kimberly murmured.

Harry turned to her. "That's because you haven't lived his life. The thing is, you haven't seen Tommy. Not really. You've just seen what he feels safe enough to show. That he showed more that that on that island … he was going to take off after that. Yeah, I'm worried about him. He's my brother. But there's nothing we can do about it right now. Even if you did find him, he's not ready to face that yet."

Harry stood, grabbing his book bag off the floor. "Look at the bright side, guys. You can't find Tommy, odds are Rita can't either. I need to get home. See you tomorrow," he said as he teleported out.

The five shared a look. "He has a point there," Zack said. "It does seem he's safe."

Jason ran his hand through his hair. "For however long he can keep it up anyway. Blue Boy, keep the scans going. When he does reappear, we need to be the ones that find him first. Rita will be looking, she seems to have taken it personal that he joined us."

***

Continued.

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	33. Haunted

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 33 -- HAUNTED**

'He's here. Peter betrayed us. Take Harry and run!' the man's voice sounded through the dark night. A woman grabbed him tightly and started up the stairs. Harry could see over her shoulder as they ran.

A sudden flash of light and the front door crashed in. 'Avada Kedavra!' A bright flash of green was followed by the man's body hitting the ground. Evil laughter filled the house even as the woman ran into a room and slammed the door. She looked around panicked, searching for any escape.

The door shattered and the woman threw herself between the man who entered and Harry. 'Foolish woman. Step aside.'

'No! Not Harry! Take me instead but don't kill my son!'

'Avada Kedavra,' the man barely breathed the words and in another flash of green the woman fell to the floor. 'What a waste.' He turned to the boy, barely a year old yet watching him silently. 'Brave child,' he murmured. 'It's almost a shame to have to kill you but I cannot allow you to grow up. Avada Kedavra.'

Another flash of green headed straight at Harry. The moment it touched him, something deep inside the boy was triggered and threw the magic off and directly back to it's caster. The world exploded.

Harry jerked up with a scream dying on his lips. His eyes flashed around, it took him several minutes to realize where he was. "Just a dream," he breathed to himself as he finally recognized his and Tommy's apartment. Well, just his right now since Tommy still hadn't returned. The envelope of money to cover rent and food Tommy teleported to him last night was less than reassuring. How long could Tommy mean to stay gone?

Harry climbed out of bed and headed to the shower. He knew he would get no more sleep that night. The details of the dream slipped from his mind like they always did, leaving only the fear behind. Catching sight of the calendar, Harry sighed. Of course. He always had that dream on the nights around Halloween though he had no idea why. He wished Tommy was there.

It was still several hours before school so Harry started cleaning, losing himself in the simple tasks. Sometime later, his communicator chimed.

"What?" he growled into it.

There was a slight hesitation before the response came. 'You oversleep kid?' Zack asked. 'You're supposed to be in the Command Centre right now. The rest of us are waiting.'

"Don't call me kid," Harry groused as he cut the connection then teleported out.

"Are you okay?" Billy asked him.

"I'm fine," Harry responded, sounding just as unconvincing as when Tommy used those words. He glared at Zack. "This is not 'the rest of us', Zack," he pointed out angrily. "Or did you already forget my brother's existence?"

Zack glared right back. Where he'd started out worried for their Green Ranger, now he was just angry with him and more than willing to let some of that anger out on the brother since the boy was throwing his own anger at him. "Sorry, _kid_. I meant the rest of us that can be located or have bothered to answer any calls in the last three weeks. Better?"

Harry growled. "I said, _do not call me kid!_ I am _**not nameless!!**_"

"That's enough!" Jason stepped in. "This isn't helping anything. Sit down and calm down. That's an order!" he added when Zack started to turn on him.

Zack sat down as ordered. Harry, however, turned to him with that same anger. "This isn't a battlefield, Jason. You don't have the right to order me like that. What do you think you're doing? You tryin' to be my master now?" he sneered the last.

Silence fell through the Command Centre, every one of the other Rangers realizing there was something wrong with those words. There was obviously more behind them than they could guess. Jason stared towards Harry but didn't see him. A memory from the Island played through his head, brought forth by Harry's words.

"_No one owns me," Tommy hissed. "No one ever will again. -- __**Do not**__ call me boy. I am not nameless!"_

_Lokar laughed at this. "You belong to me, Green Traitor, as you belonged to Rita before that. I have watched you. I saw your Illusions. You would not know how to be without a master."_

"Not a master, no. Part of a leader's job is to keep peace on the team," Jason commented almost absently. He took a deep breath and asked, "What did Tommy see? Lokar commented on them, said 'you would not know how to be without a master'. What could he have seen?"

Harry sat down, stared at the floor rather than meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm sorry, Jason," he softly said. "I, uh, I'm gonna be gone for a little while. Maybe a few days."

"What?" Jason exclaimed. What was it with these Oliver boys? The moment you start talking they run off!

"You'll miss out on trick or treating tonight if you leave," Kim pointed out, sure that would be more than enough reason for any boy his age to stay around.

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "Like I need to put on some stupid costume and go around demanding strangers give me candy like Du-- some fat assed punk," he told her before explaining to Jason, "I know some places to check for Tommy. Just a few possibilities, nowhere I can take somewhere else. You wouldn't be welcome at all. So I'm doing exactly what Tommy did, disappearing from sensors and everything. I won't be gone more than a few days though and I'll try to get him to come home. But … I don't think he will yet. I'll make sure he's doing okay at least."

"Harry," Jason commanded. "What … what did those words tell you? What's going on?"

Harry finally looked up, met his eyes. "They told me Tommy's hurt. I thought … what you said, I thought he just scared himself, showing you too much. Because of that, I was expecting him back by now. But that's not it. He's hurting."

"Harry."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I can't tell you anymore than that. It's not … well, part of it is my story but his is … worse. I can't tell you. And I apologize for my words, Jason. I know you're not like that." He stood. "Don't ask, okay? I'll see you in a few days, whatever happens."

Jason ran a tired hand through his hair as Harry teleported out. "I get the feeling, whatever I learn about them, I'll never really understand those two."

Billy commented, "I fear I'm starting to understand them."

"How so?" Trini asked.

Billy remained silent for a long moment. He'd thought earlier that the boys had been abused but were safe now as they'd been taken out of the situation. But he'd never thought about how bad they could have been hurt. He'd thought there was a limit to how badly modern man would hurt itself. But their words, their reactions ... was it possible those boys had been slaves? In the modern world? "When we overheard Tommy speaking to Mr. Broughton, Tommy's words were just off. When he asked how you learn to be free, I assumed then he was speaking of having troubles after what Rita did to him, but his words were off. He said 'if slavery is all you've known'. He wasn't under the spell that long. With Harry's reaction just now ... I fear ... But it _couldn't be_. Not anymore. Right?"

No one said anything for the longest moment. Though Billy spoke around the issue, no one questioned his meaning this time. They hadn't really spoken of it, they barely even acknowledged the thoughts within their own heads, but each of them had been wondering the same thing. Had the Oliver boys been slaves?

Zordon finally spoke. "It is possible, my Rangers, that he simply worded his questions to his teacher in order to keep the man from discovering his identity as the Green Ranger."

The five Rangers appeared to agree with this possibility, keeping their thoughts silent, but something in Zordon's answer seemed off to them all. For some reason it seemed Zordon didn't believe his own words.

***

Continued.

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	34. Ordinary

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 34 -- ORDINARY**

Harry teleported into a dark alley in New York City. It was the last place he could think of that Tommy might have gone but also the one he was least sure of where exactly to look for him. Sighing, Harry checked again to assure himself he still had his knife and gun. The gun was Tommy's 'spare' which he kept locked in a box hidden on the top shelf of their closet, where Harry wasn't supposed to get. It was smaller, lighter than Tommy's main gun and immediately after purchasing it, Tommy had taken Harry out to show him how to use it. Harry suspected he actually bought the gun for him but since Harry was far from good with it, Tommy changed his mind. Harry wasn't supposed to touch a gun without Tommy right there, working with him. It was annoying. Yeah, so he did shoot Tommy in the thigh by accident once but it was the first time he'd ever touched a gun. Sure, making him bleed was a bad thing when they were living with a vampire but Patrick stayed in control. Everything turned out fine. Tommy really should be over that by now.

Harry wondered around, taking care to not draw attention to himself. There were people everywhere. Too many people. It seemed everyone was dressed in costumes, each more extravagant than the last. These were the wealthy, out to flaunt what they had. Tommy wouldn't be anywhere near these people, Harry knew.

Sometime later, the buildings began to look more worn. The costumed crowd remained but the costumes were of cheaper wear, some even looked home made. Harry kept his eyes out for Tommy but he doubted he'd be here either. He continued on.

Harry felt several eyes on him. Scanning the crowd, he saw several kids silently gauging him. They weren't in costumes, they weren't part of the crowd but rather part of the streets. The oblivious crowd parted around them just as they did around Harry, never seeing any of them.

"I'm not looking for trouble," Harry softly stated.

"You're looking for something," a boy stated.

"My brother." Harry stepped up, met the speaker's eyes, and described Tommy as he knew they would see him. "You would have noticed him. He's a boss but not interested in your streets, showed up a few weeks ago."

"You're Tom's bro?" another asked. "He's at the club. We'll take you."

Harry nodded and followed them down the block. As they headed down the stairs, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he felt Tommy within. Then he immediately tensed as it occurred to him that Tommy would feel him just as easily.

The thought had barely had time to form when the club's door slammed open and Tommy stalked up the steps. He didn't even pause, barely acknowledged the other boys as he grabbed Harry's arm and all but dragged him back up the stairs. Tommy didn't speak or slow down until they were several blocks away and inside an apartment.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tommy demanded in a soft and dangerous tone.

"I'm worried about you," Harry admitted freely.

"I told you I'm fine, just needed some space."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you told me that in a letter you 'ported in with the month's expenses. It's been weeks already, bro. We're all worried. They just told me part of what happened on the Island."

Tommy collapsed into a seat, stared at his hands. "I'm fine," he breathed.

"Sure you are," Harry responded softly as he sat on the table directly in front of Tommy. "That's why you're not even looking at me." When Tommy didn't reply, Harry sighed. "Don't listen to them, Tommy. I -- I know this is hard. We're both trying to learn this freedom thing. But we're doing it, we're making it because of you. I couldn't do this on my own, bro."

Tommy glanced up without raising his head, his clear green eyes met Harry's gaze through a curtain of hair. "You're stronger than you think, Har. Your strength will carry you though, whatever happens."

"You're stronger than you think you are too, Tommy," Harry said to this. "You're more … you're so much more than they've ever let you be. They know that. They know the lie in their words, they wouldn't be trying to get to you like that if they didn't."

A long silence fell. "Yeah," Tommy finally breathed tiredly. "I know. I wish …" He shook his head. "I just wish I was ordinary."

***

Harry teleported into the Command Centre the next evening. The other Rangers looked to him questioningly.

"He's not ready to come home," Harry informed them softly. "You all know he's been through a lot from Rita's spell alone. He hasn't taken a moment to deal with that crap, it's just overwhelmed him. He's okay, he'll be okay. He's not alone. He's safe." _Safely protected by the New York City Underground,_ Harry finished silently. Harry met Jason's eyes and said, "He needs this time. But if we need him, if we _really_ need him, you can call. He'll answer."

Jason thought on that a moment then nodded. "Okay. I don't like not knowing where he is but if you say he's okay, I believe you. I can live with that."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	35. Targeted

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 35 -- TARGETED**

Bulk and Skull lounged in their living room, eating pizza and watching their favorite show when the monster alarms sounded and the show was interrupted for live footage of the latest battle. The six Rangers fought against as many monsters and they weren't doing well. The monsters seemed to be targeting mostly the Red Ranger and the White Ranger, whom the two boys had finally decided must be Harry Oliver. The boy fought with a similar style to Tommy's, just obviously not anywhere near as advanced.

Just as suddenly as the battle began, the aliens retreated but with two Rangers in their possession.

"Shit," Bulk said. "Tommy's gonna freak."

Skull silently agreed. He pressed the command on the communicator Tommy gave him and almost immediately, Tommy's voice came through.

'Skull?' Tommy questioned. 'You okay? Did that bastard come back?'

Bulk just looked at Skull, understanding dawning. He'd wondered what finally made Skull's old man give in and sign custody over to Bulk's parents. Tommy being involved was more than enough reason to explain anyone with even an ounce of self preservation backing down.

Bulk had also wondered why Skull suddenly took to wearing a watch all the time. Under his breath, he commented, "You coulda told me Tommy gave you that."

"No, I'm fine," Skull assured Tommy while throwing Bulk an apologetic look. "It's your team."

'What happened?'

"The aliens took Jason and the White Ranger, I'm thinking that's your little brother?"

'Yeah,' Tommy breathed. He wondered when it was that they figured out who the rest of the Power Rangers were but he didn't and wouldn't ask. The connection was suddenly terminated, followed almost immediately by Tommy teleporting before them. "You saw the battle?"

Between them, Bulk and Skull described the battle.

***

Billy, Zack, Trini, and Kim stared in shock as the aliens disappeared, taking Jason and Harry with them.

"Wh-what just happened?" Kim asked.

No one responded for the longest moment. Then Billy said, "I believe Rita has grown tired of waiting for Tommy to return on his own."

Zack mumbled, "Everyone's sick of waiting for him."

"Zack!" Kim exclaimed.

"What?" he responded. "He's been gone over four months. You trying to say you're not sick of ---"

"We should go to the Command Centre and call Tommy," Trini said cut him off.

***

Silence fell when Bulk and Skull finished speaking as Tommy thought over their words and started planning. Tommy's communicator chimed and he answered, "I'm here."

'Tommy,' Billy hesitantly said. 'I … They took Jason and Harry. They have to be trying to draw you out, there's no other reason for targeting those two specifically.' He paused, then in an almost desperate tone, he asked, 'What do we do?'

Tommy said, "They're setting a trap, sure of their bait. That's obvious. Target's just as obvious. I have no plans of giving them what they want."

'Y-you mean you're not coming back?' Kim questioned. 'Not even for your little brother?'

"I didn't say that. I said I'm not stepping in their trap. What we're gonna do is see how good your acting skills are."

'What?' the four Rangers said as one.

Tommy smirked, determination clear in his tone and in his cerulean eyes. "Exactly what I said. Billy, Trini, do your thing, find where they're being held, readings on whatever's guarding them, the usual. Once you find them, after you call me with the info, all four of you have a show to put on. Go to the park, the usual spot by the lake, and … talk about how worried you are for Jas and Har. Go on about none of you knowing what to do, Billy you might mention that _even if you could find where they are_ none of you would know how to get them back alone. Play up the missing leader thing, act like you can't think without him. Rita'll buy it, she has a low opinion of everyone anyway. Most importantly, you need to talk about me. How you can't reach me, how I'm not answering anyone's call but Jas or Harry's. Even then, I don't always respond, that type thing. Speak of how you don't know where I am, how _not even Jason or Harry_ know my whereabouts. That's really important. We can't have them thinking they can get that info from our guys. Can you do that? Can you act well enough to fool them?"

'What are you doing? Why do we need to pretend?' Zack asked.

"I'm making them have to redesign their trap to fit my needs," Tommy informed them easily. "You guys are the light show. They'll be so busy watching you that they won't be watching the shadows."

After a short silence, Zack said, 'Yeah, we can do it. You know man, you're really scary sometimes. I'm glad you're on our side.'

When Tommy signed off, Bulk asked, "You think they can do that? Fool your enemies like that?"

"They should be able to manage the 'lost without a leader' thing," Tommy dryly commented. "They were doing a damned good job of it there."

***

Continued.

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	36. Preparations

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

_The current chapter is taking place in March._

***

**CHAPTER 36 -- PREPARATIONS **

Sitting in Bulk's bedroom, Tommy remained silent as Billy filled him in on the results of his and Trini's scans. When he finished, Tommy said, "Wait thirty minutes then head to the park and put on the show. Make it last at least twenty minutes then Zordon or Alpha need to call you to return to the Command Centre. Return there and wait for my signal. I'll tap my communicator, at which time the four of you need to 'port to the guarded entrance and keep the monsters busy. Make it look like you're trying to get through while not moving any deeper into the complex. What you will really be doing is getting their eyes off our guys so I can slip them out the back. When I tap the comm. again everyone pulls out. Got that?"

'Understood,' Billy said, followed shortly by the other three.

"Okay. Start thirty minutes from now." Tommy cut the connection then turned to Bulk and Skull with a dangerous smirk, his mint green eyes shining with an eagerness for the coming challenge since the setup didn't seem to actually endanger his brothers. "'Pina set it up for me," he told them. "Her and Goldar watching my brothers, with a snake monster. Rita'll never guess it but they might as well have handed my brothers back to me."

"Zack Taylor's afraid of snakes," Bulk commented. "He freaks out over them bad. That's probably why she chose that monster but … I get you're not afraid of snakes but that monster is still freaky powerful."

Tommy's smirk grew. "But it's a snake which means it'll follow my commands over Rita's or anyone else's. Any reptilian will follow any command of mine over anyone. Well, there is no one in the magical area as close as Pluto that can command them over me anyway. Since it's a snake, Harry might be able to command it over Rita but I definitely can."

Tommy opened his travel bag, which he'd teleported back to New York to retrieve while waiting for Billy to finish his search. Tommy pulled off his shirt and pulled his tool roll out of the bag and wrapped it around his waist. Bulk and Skull's eyes grew big with shock as they took in the innumerable scars covering his back, torso, and upper arms, a shock that only grew as they took in the professional thieving tools and the well worn but well cared for setup. A fact Bulk only recognized from staying with that 'old friend' of Skull's when they went to L.A. a couple years ago. One night, when his old friend was out, Skull showed him the guy's backup tools and told him what they were for. Bulk had been shocked. He never would have thought of a teenager being a professional thief before that. But Tommy wasn't some eighteen year old guy, he was their age. Bulk would think he was younger than them if he'd met him anywhere besides school. Besides that, Tommy's a Power Ranger. What was _he_ doing with such a kit?

"Breaking into Rita's castle," Tommy stated and Bulk jumped in shock. He'd thought he was just thinking that until Tommy spoke.

Tommy slipped on a dark green muscle shirt that was just loose enough to not show the kit hidden underneath. He then pulled out a new looking dark green holster made to hold a gun under each shoulder and a sword down the back. He put this on then removed two guns from his bag and after checking them he placed them in their holsters. The short sword was pulled out next, it's old sheath set aside. Tommy swept his hair over one shoulder before sliding the blade home in its new sheath.

"How …" Skull motioned to the rather small duffle bag Tommy was pulling all of this out of. "That sword's longer than the bag. How do you do that?"

"Magic," Tommy answered softly as he pulled on a long sleeved button up green shirt that he left unbuttoned. The holster seemed to disappear against the dark green shirt and the gun was hidden under his shoulder and the second shirt so he looked no different than any day they saw him in classes. Tommy placed several knives in sheaths sewn into his clothing.

"You're not, uh, what do you call it? You're not going in your Ranger gear?" Bulk asked.

"Morphing," Tommy filled in. "And no. Everyone would know exactly where I am the moment I morph. They're all watching too damned close."

"Be careful," Bulk said. "Life is boring when you're not here."

Tommy wasn't quite sure what to think of that. "Don't worry about me. I'm a warrior with or without the armor."

Skull said, "We can't help worrying about you. You're our friend."

A small but true smile graced Tommy's lips. "You said that before."

"I know. It's true."

Tommy's smile grew, his eyes flashed to cobalt as he met their eyes, then changed back to mint green as he prepared to leave. "Gotta go. I'll call you when it's done." He teleported out.

"He's something else," Bulk said once Tommy was gone. "So what happened with your old man and what do you know about that kid?"

Skull responded, "I know not to call him kid."

Bulk looked embarrassed. "Yeah. He's our age. Some reason, I keep thinking he has to be younger but …"

"Oh, it's not that," Skull said. "I get the feeling he _is_ younger than us. Not sure how much and I'm not asking. Tommy's not the type that'll answer questions, Bulky. You want to know him, you gotta just kinda let him tell you what he's comfortable with. It's just … remember when I told you of my hometown and that warehouse I used to stay at with those boys?"

Bulk tensed. "The boys that were slaves of the Cartel. What does this have to do with Tommy?"

"I don't _know_ anything, Bulky. He hasn't told me, I'm just going on what he has said and what I've seen. But I could be wrong."

"Like we didn't know he was the Green Ranger after we saw him in the alley?"

"Exactly." Skull sighed. "He's a slave. I mean, at one time at least he's been a slave, just like those boys. Before the aliens messed with him, before he ever came here. I don't know what his deal is right now but he is a Power Ranger so I'm sure no human can touch him now. I do know he knows what it is to be nameless."

Nameless, as Bulk understood it, meant basically the same as worthless to those kids. They were merely commodities for those with power over them to trade upon and the nameless were the lowest. They had to do the worst things to survive, were used in the worst ways. Bulk hated to think of that existing anywhere, those things happening to anyone. But Tommy wasn't just anyone. Tommy was one of his two true friends.

"What can we do for him?" Bulk asked, hoping Skull had some idea. Skull was the one that knew anything of that world though luckily it was only from seeing it from a distance.

Skull shrugged. "What we've been doing, I guess. Be his friends. Don't freak over the things he doesn't know, help him find his way when he needs it."

"Like basketball," Bulk said, smiling slightly.

"Like that. Remind him we care about him because he's a friend and worth caring for. Make sure he knows there's no price for our friendship. That type thing."

"I can do that."

Skull smirked. "It's not as easy as it sounds, Bulky." Skull then filled Bulk in on Tommy's visit last October.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	37. Rescue Operation

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 37 -- RESCUE OPERATION**

A little over an hour later found Tommy sitting in one of the numerous ventilation shafts within the moon castle, looking down on the cell where his two brothers were trapped. Goldar and Scorpina looked bored but Tommy could also tell they were scanning for any sign of him. They obviously didn't believe the others' act though as they were acting bored themselves, it was also clear Rita did. Even the snake monster looked bored. It was watching the main entrance and paying attention to nowhere else. Well, technically it was the _only_ entrance unless you counted ventilation shafts and sewage drains, things Rita would never think to guard.

Jason and Harry were on opposite sides of the room, their hands chained behind their backs locking them to metal poles. That was odd, Rita usually went for magical bindings. Convenient though, it was much easier to pick a lock than break the magic. Goldar or Scorpina must have set that up for him. They were halfway back in the room and appeared uninjured. At least not injured beyond what they were in the battle. It appeared Billy's scans were mostly correct -- there was a magic in the air that he hadn't found though and Tommy couldn't quite identify. If Rita set the magic to activate at Tommy's entrance in the room he was in trouble. However, if she set the easier and quicker spells to activate at passage through a certain spot, like the entrance, then he was fine.

Tommy loosened the vent cover but didn't remove it just yet. Scorpina glanced up at the vent, smirked, then turned her full attention to the entrance. Goldar saw her change of focus and followed her lead. Tommy grinned at this. It was good to have friends among one's enemies.

Tommy tapped his communicator and waited. After a few minutes, he heard the sound of battle. Then Zack's voice called out, "Come on guys! We need to get through here _now_! Jason and Harry're in there!"

Tommy suppressed a sigh. Their acting skills needed work. _Major_ work. But it should still fool Rita and that was the important part here. Tommy waited.

Finally, Goldar and Scorpina stood and Tommy knew Rita finally called them. "Snake Man, guard the prisoners," Goldar ordered as he and Scorpina ran out.

Tommy rolled his steel blue eyes. Snake Man? Was it just him or were Rita's names for her creations getting _worse_?

Snake Man kept his attention on the entrance, not looking bored anymore as he could see some of the action taking place. Tommy silently removed the vent cover and just as silently lowered himself out of the hole. He hung there for a second before letting go and dropping to the floor, landing with a softly. Harry's eyes immediately located him, Tommy was glad to see. Snake Man also turned and, seeing him, he drew a sword and stepped forward.

Tommy met Snake Man's eyes and hissed, "Stand down and stay silent."

Snake Man immediately sheathed his blade and turned back to watching the fighting outside. Jason heard the hissing and turned his head. He smiled as he saw Tommy there. He started to speak but stopped when Tommy motioned for silence. As he was closest to Jason, he started to him … and was immediately thrown away as that magic he'd noted activated.

"Shit!" Tommy hissed as he back hit the wall, with him now an equal distance from them. _Why didn't it occur to me she could set them as the activate point?_ he berated himself.

He could see the magic now, it formed a triangle between himself and his brothers and sparked with a high electric charge. Tommy took a single step towards Jason and the charge ignited. Jason cried out, Tommy ignored the pain as best he could and stepped back, the field stood dormant once again. Trying a different approach, Tommy took a step forward between the two boys, keeping the distance between him and either of them the same. This time Tommy cried out as the full charge came down upon him. It took a great effort to take a step back so the field would go dormant.

Once the pain faded enough Tommy could concentrate again, he focused his magic on making himself invisible to all magics. When Jason and Harry cried out, Tommy immediately dropped the magic cloak.

"This is not good," Tommy breathed, his eyes bright green. He couldn't move in any direction without at least one of them being incapacitated by pain and he could see the magic clear enough to know if he could ignore the pain to reach them, it would only end in his and their deaths as it would increase with each step. Even if the others weren't chained, that magic would keep them in place. As it was, he couldn't reach them to pick the locks but … Hesitantly, Tommy lifted his hand and pointed at Jason. Nothing happened.

Tommy smirked at that and drew his main gun. "Harry, don't move. When the chains come off, you still can't move. Okay?"

"I understand," Harry said.

Tommy aimed at the lock at Harry's wrists and fired. Harry remained still but Jason jumped in shock.

"What the hell!" Jason exclaimed. He was staring at Tommy now. "A gun?"

The chains fell from Harry and he rubbed his wrists. Tommy met Jason's eyes across the space and asked, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Jason answered immediately, without thought.

"I need you to hold completely still and I'll get the chains off you," Tommy stated. "But you can't flinch or anything. If you move, the spell activates and we all felt what'll happen. So you need to trust me. I won't miss."

Jason nodded. "Okay. You're shooting at me and I can't flinch. Go ahead."

Tommy wasn't sure Jason really could avoid reacting to that but he fired anyway. Tommy smiled when Jason didn't flinch at all. It seemed the older boy really _did_ trust him.

"Now what?" Jason asked Tommy. "We still can't move."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	38. Trapped

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 38 -- Trapped**

_Now what? Good question,_ Tommy thought to himself. "You have your communicators still?"

"Yeah. They didn't take anything from us," Harry answered.

"Okay. Try and teleport out."

Jason and Harry pressed the command and nothing happened. Tommy nodded and said, "I thought so. Teleportation showed blocked but it was worth trying. The magic of the trap could have overrode it. Can you morph?"

Again nothing. "Okay, all obvious things blocked," Harry said. "What's the less obvious step?"

Jason looked from Tommy to Harry and back. He was missing something here. Harry's words almost sounded derisive yet Harry's tone didn't. It was almost like the younger boy was apologizing for having to ask.

Tommy sighed. "We need the limits of this trap. Can you take it, Har?"

Harry hesitated. "I -- I thought you just tested the limits," he breathed, looking down.

"Sorry, Harry."

Harry's head shot up and he met Tommy's powder blue eyes. Tommy smiled softly and said, "I really meant to get you somewhere safe, not find a greater darkness."

"It's not your fault," Harry assured. "I would've been dead along time ago if not for you. Even if I'd survived _that day_." He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready Tommy. Whatever it takes."

Tommy nodded. "Okay. -- Jason?"

Jason nodded. "I'll follow your lead, bro."

"Har, follow the training. Match Jason." Tommy waited until Harry nodded. "Okay. On three, everyone takes one step towards the entrance wall, keeping the same distance between each other. If it goes bad, ignore the pain as you can and move back to the starting point immediately. Got it?"

"Ready," Jason said. Harry nodded.

"Okay," Tommy took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "One. Two. _Three._" As one, the boys took a single step forward. The trap activated immediately but this time no one cried out. They pulled themselves back to the starting point, Jason and Harry collapsing against the base of the poles, and the trap once again returned dormant.

"Th--that wasn't as bad," Jason gasped.

"But still bad," Tommy agreed. "The metal poles seem to be active points. Har, can you feel the back of the pole, see if the bullet scratched it?"

"Yeah." Harry tried to stand. "Uh, in a minute. Sorry."

"It's okay. These shocks are a major strain on the body even with the protection of the Power," Tommy softly stated.

Finally catching his breath, Jason commented, "I'm embarrassed, Tommy. It knocked me flat and you appear unaffected."

Tommy turned to him. "Don't be. I'm just used to pain, that's all."

Jason just stared at him, unsure how to respond to that. In the silence, Harry finally managed to stand and he felt the back of the pole.

"There's a small scratch," Harry said. "Not much."

"Okay, you and Jas sit and rest for a moment," Tommy responded. Silence fell, then Tommy spoke into his communicator. "Alpha? What's Billy's position?"

'He is fighting Scorpina alone,' Alpha responded.

"Great." He cut that connection and called, "Billy?"

'Busy here.'

"'Pina will hold back while we talk," Tommy softly breathed into the comm., taking care that no one else could hear.

A slight pause then, 'If you say so. What is it?'

"You guys need to pull out. Call out so everyone hears that I reached our guys then pull out and go to the Command Centre. Rita had a dormant trap that didn't show on scans and we can't move here. See if you can pull us out or, barring that, call me with the readout. There are two metal poles here that seem to be markers for the trap, but it's activated anytime we change distance between any of us or to a lesser degree when we try to move equidistant. I might be able to take the poles out but I need to know it won't kill us first."

'Understood,' Billy said. The comm. was cut and then Billy's voice echoed through the room as he called out, "Tommy's reached them! We're good to go!"

"What?!" Zack immediately responded. "That's not --"

"Pull out _now!_" Billy ordered.

The sounds of battle quickly faded. After a moment, Jason asked, "So why did you just announce to everyone you're here?"

"For what I told Billy and to find out what it's about," Tommy said. "The trap is very specifically set and it is non-lethal. I want to know why."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	39. The Price

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 39 -- THE PRICE**

Zack, Trini, Kim and Billy appeared within the Command Centre. Billy immediately turned to the console and started a full scan. Zack turned to him.

"What's up man?" Zack demanded. "That wasn't the plan."

Billy didn't look up. "I know. I missed something and now Tommy's stuck with Jason and Harry. Tommy called, said he needs me here so we pulled out. -- It would seem I won't be able to 'port them out easily. He said metal poles. What are they?" he continued, speaking to himself.

Trini went to another console and activated the viewing globe to show where the other three were trapped and they watched Rita arrive and the confrontation that followed.

"Is he trying to get himself killed?" Zack breathed. Though he didn't realize it, his tone carried a strong sense of awe.

***

"Jas, when they show, stay quiet okay? Let me handle this," Tommy quietly requested. He knew Harry would follow his lead but Jason was technically his leader. He was basically asking Jason to step down from that position, for this encounter at least. It wasn't something many would be willing to do. Of the few that might, they would definitely require a reason that they saw as good enough to even think about it. Tommy really doubted Rita would give him time to explain.

Jason nodded. "No problem bro. You have lead."

Tommy blinked. He definitely wasn't expecting it to be that easy. Of course, this was Jason. This guy was different than anything Tommy knew before and he proved that every time he said or did _anything_.

Rita appeared at the entrance, flanked by Goldar and Scorpina. They stopped in the center of the triangle the three Rangers formed, facing Tommy. "Green Traitor," Rita said in an almost gloating tone.

"Arrogant bitch," Tommy returned, his tone and stance neutral. If you didn't know the words he spoke, you'd assume it was a casual greeting one would give to an acquaintance you passed on the street. Jason covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud at this. He noticed Goldar and Scorpina both seemed to be having a similar problem.

The gloating tone fell as anger took it's place. "You little--"

"You seem to have gone to a bit of trouble here," Tommy smoothly interrupted her, leaving her fuming but silent as she met Tommy's spring green eyes. "Straining those little brain cells of yours to the limit. So why don't we just cut the crap and you tell us your petty reasons behind this."

The silence was heavy as _everyone_ was staring at Tommy in shock at this.

Tommy smirked. "Question too hard for you? Did you already forget your reasons in setting the play, Rita?"

Rita growled. "That's Empress to you."

"Honestly Rita, I couldn't care less what your name is, let alone the titles you bestow upon yourself. I mean really, Empress? I imagine your UAD's Emperor would be … shall we say less than impressed with that particular conceit of yours."

Rita paled at this, took a step back without thought. Tommy laughed. "That really never occurred to you?"

Rita retook the step and continued to him. "It does not matter," she spat. "_He_ is not here nor will he be. He has no interest in this place, no idea of it's importance, and he will not know until it is too late. All here are completely loyal to _me_ and me alone!"

Tommy raised an eyebrow at this, though he carefully didn't look away from Rita. There was no reason whatsoever to give her even a hint that her 'most loyal' warriors might be more loyal to Tommy than her. Nor would he let her know that he knew, though they never spoke of it, that both Goldar and Scorpina were most loyal to their Emperor. Nor would he give a hint that Snake Man, by the mere nature of his design, was loyal to Tommy above all else.

"I assume you have tested your restraints," Rita said, the anger and fear now missing from her voice.

"I have," Tommy admitted easily enough.

"Then you know you cannot move, none of you can move without causing each other great pain. Push it enough and you will die, well before you could reach each other." Rita paused. She stepped right into Tommy, spoke so no one else in the room could hear. "It is a simple enough setup, Traitor. If you chose to push the trap, one of you may survive but only one. If you move towards the Red Ranger, you and he will die but the White Ranger will survive. If you move towards the White, the Red will survive. If they move to each other, you will be the one to survive. If you all remain as you are, even with the Power you will eventually die of starvation."

Rita reached up and caressed Tommy's cheek lightly. "I will leave you here, boy," she breathed in his ear. "I will watch to see who you choose to sacrifice or if you choose to all die together. Once you have made that choice, I will defeat the remaining Rangers as they will be destroyed by whatever choice you make. I will claim this world and with it as a launching ground, I will contest the Emperor for control of the UAD itself."

"You're insane," Tommy softly stated.

Rita ignored him. She cupped her hand under his chin and leaned down, kissing him hard. Tommy froze, forcing himself not to react at all to this invasion, his eyes midnight green. When she broke the kiss, she said, loud enough all heard, "There is another option, my tasty boy. You will give yourself to me and you will be whatever I want you to be, whenever I want it. Do this and I will allow the Red and White Rangers to survive. You may have them as pets." She released his chin and stepped back. "Well?"

Tommy kept the anger and disgust off his face. With a slight smirk masking his true feelings, Tommy questioned, "Would you let them go? Let my brothers return to Earth, unharmed?"

"You would rather that than keep them yourself?" she questioned in return. "What use is that to you?"

"I don't want pets," Tommy said simply. When Rita didn't say anything, Tommy pressed, "Would you let them go? How badly _do_ you want me?" he added the last in a low seductive tone and Rita shuddered slightly in want.

"They cannot leave, they would only fight me still. If you do not want pets, they can stay as … honored guests. Hostage to your good behavior."

Tommy shook his head slightly. "Not good enough," he purred. "Let them go and you'll see how 'good' my behavior can be."

Rita thought a moment before saying, "No. I will leave you here for now. I suspect you will rethink what is most important to you after a few days trapped here. Snake Man!" she bellowed. "Stay here and guard them! If any others show, kill them." She left, Goldar and Scorpina silently flanking her.

Snake Man looked to Tommy when she was gone, hissed, "Does she truly believe I would obey her over you?"

"She does not know who I am," Tommy hissed in response. In English, he spoke into his communicator. "Billy."

'I'm here,' Billy responded. 'We were watching.'

"Well? Can I take out the poles without killing us?"

Billy hesitated. 'As my scans didn't even pick up on the spell the first time around, I am unsure --'

"Don't question yourself, Blue Boy," Tommy softly interrupted. "Think it through. The spell was made to not be detected before activation. But it's active now. Once activated, neither its existence nor any aspects can remain so well hidden. The power is through it all so none of it is beyond your skills to deduce. I ask again, can I take them out?"

'Yes,' Billy said. 'It will give you the ability to move equidistant within the room but the spell will still remain. I have yet to find a way to deactivate the spell.'

"The poles themselves? They appear metal but that's vague."

'They are metallic,' Billy said. 'However they are not of a material of Earth.' He continued on, giving a full description of the substance.

"Okay. Keep working." Tommy ended the connection. "Jason. Harry." When both boys turned to him, he said, "When I say go, run to the far wall. The trap will activate and it will hurt but don't stop. When you get to the wall, duck down and cover your heads. I'll take care of it."

"I trust you," Jason assured.

"Whenever you say," Harry agreed.

Tommy pulled his second gun, loaded with explosive rounds. He took a second to measure the distance between his brothers and the wall and figure where he would need to be to stay equidistant from them. Then he said, "GO!"

Immediately, Jason and Harry threw themselves across the floor, ignoring the pain as they could and refusing to let it stop them. Tommy kept pace with them. When they hit the wall and covered themselves, Tommy aimed at the first pole and fired, turning to the second before the shot impacted. He fired again and dropped to the ground himself, covering against flying debris. Both poles shattered on impact and the spell fell dormant once more. Jason and Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the spell's lifting even as hot debris rained down upon them all. The sound cleared, the debris settled, and Tommy stood. Jason and Harry turned and collapsed against the wall for support. Tommy's crystal blue eyes scanned them and he saw both of them had cuts bleeding on their arms.

"Harry," Tommy called. When the other boy looked up, Tommy pulled a small kit out of one of the pockets of his jacket and tossed it to him. "For your cuts. Toss it to Jas when you're done."

Tommy sat as he watched Harry treat his injuries before tossing the kit to Jason. When Jason finished, he started to toss it back to Tommy but saw the other boy was lost in his thoughts.

"Just keep it for now," Harry suggested. "You can always give it back when we're free."

Jason nodded. "What do you think Harry? I couldn't hear everything they said but that last part … I really have a bad feeling about this."

Harry shrugged. "It sounded bad but Tommy'll find a way out."

Jason's gaze turned back to the Green Ranger who remained lost in thought. "You know, I think he will."

Tommy went over everything he'd seen of the trap as well as what Rita said. If the distance closed between two of them, like him approaching either Jason or Harry, the spell hit the two closest. Rita said this would kill those two but free the third. She claimed these were the only options. Yet when Tommy tried to walk towards the door, bringing him closer to both boys but not any closer to either one, the spell focused on him alone. If it followed suit, then the outcome of him doing that should be freeing the other two at the price of his life alone.

"Billy?" he questioned, breaking the now several hours of silence. Jason and Harry had dosed off sometime back.

A slight hesitation then, 'I'm here, Tommy.'

"Any luck?"

'No,' he admitted. 'I'm still looking but so far I have not found a single way of getting all three of you out alive.'

Tommy sighed as he stood, his emerald gaze taking in his sleeping brothers. "I don't think there is a way, Billy. I -- I'm making a choice. If this works, they'll both be home soon."

'Tommy,' Billy fearfully said. 'Don't do this.'

"I'm sorry." Tommy cut the connection once again. Taking a deep breath, he threw himself forward, careful to stay centered between his brothers. The pain hit immediately but he pushed through. It grew with each step. Halfway across, the pain became too much and he fell to his knees. Unable to suppress it, he cried out and the two boys awoke. Tommy didn't even notice as the pain was so overwhelming. But he didn't stop. He crawled forward now, pushing further and further. Finally he reached the wall. The moment he touched the ground between Jason and Harry, the spell broke. Tommy collapsed.

"TOMMY!!" Jason and Harry exclaimed as one. They were at his side in seconds.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	40. Waking

**Edited February 20, 2010**

***

**CHAPTER 40 -- WAKING**

Jason fell to his knees and stared at Tommy's unmoving form, Tommy's open silver eyes glazed in death. "No," he breathed. He reached towards his best friend and brother but stopped inches short of touching, unsure what to do. On Tommy's other side, Harry hissed something but Jason barely noticed the other's presence. Another hiss answered and Tommy's body moved. Jason's head shot up.

"No!" he yelled. "Leave him alone!"

Snake Man ignored his angered words and continued to drag Tommy from the room. Jason started forward but Harry stopped him. "It's okay," Harry assured. "He's not hurting him. He couldn't. Just follow, we need to get out of here."

Jason shook his head no. "He's not … He has to be …"

"Jason!" Harry strongly interrupted the other boy's incoherent babbling. "Pull it together! This isn't the time or place for that. _We need to get out of here!_"

Jason stared at the younger boy in shock for a moment then quickly followed after him when Harry simply turned and headed down the corridor without waiting for a response. Sometime later, he saw Snake Man in the distance, Tommy's form lying on the floor with the creation kneeling beside him, one hand resting on Tommy's forehead, the other over his heart. Harry stopped a few feet back from them, watching. Jason rushed over.

"What the hell is --" Jason began only to gasp in surprise as Snake Man suddenly disintegrated. "What?!"

Harry rushed over to Tommy's side, felt for a pulse then cried out, "Yes!"

"What is it?!" Jason demanded as he joined him.

Harry said, "I have my brother, 'port out." Harry didn't wait to see Jason's reaction but instead teleported himself and Tommy directly to the Command Centre.

Jason stared after them a long moment before the shock passed enough for him to think to follow. He appeared in the Command Centre's med lab and found it bustling with activity. "Tommy?" he softly asked, dreading the answer.

"He's barely hanging on but he's alive," Billy responded without turning from setting Tommy up on life support. "What he just did -- I don't know how. It should have killed him. It … it _looked_ like it killed him."

"Snake Man -- He paid the price," Harry softly stated. "Rita created a snake creature and Tommy is lord of all reptiles. I can talk to snakes but Tommy … they do whatever he says, over anyone else. So Rita basically created Tommy an ally against her but … Tommy didn't ask Snake Man's help there. He wouldn't. Snake Man freely chose to give his life for Tommy. Tommy was dead but Snake Man made the ultimate sacrifice and now he's back."

Harry looked to Billy as he worked on Tommy then turned and met each one of the Rangers' eyes for a moment ending with Zack. He met the Black Ranger's eyes unflinchingly as he said, "Snake Man made the very same sacrifice Tommy chose to make for me and Jason. Think of that next time you feel like cussing my brother for being human and needing time to deal with the crap thrown on him. Tommy freely chose to give his life for us. He gave all."

Zack flinched. Harry finished, "I don't care if you like him or not. But you damned well better respect him for that."

***

It was late at night when Tommy awoke in the silent Command Centre med lab. He lay there for a moment just staring at the ceiling, his royal blue eyes filled with confusion as his mind played back the last moments of consciousness. _I died,_ he thought to himself. _But then how am I waking here?_

His whole body aching, he slowly managed to sit up and look around. Harry was sleeping on the next bed over, Jason the one after that. A small grin touched Tommy's lips as he saw Billy had once again fallen asleep at one of the work consoles.

Tommy gently lifted Billy in his arms and moved him to the bed he'd woken upon. He wrote a quick note and slipped it into Billy's hand before leaving the room and teleporting out.

***

"Damn-it!" Jason exclaimed upon waking and finding Tommy missing. His cry awoke the other two boys, Billy's hand automatically closing tighter around the note Tommy left.

"What's wrong?" Billy immediately questioned even as he lifted the note to see what it was.

"Tommy's gone!"

Harry shrugged. "Good to know he's feeling well enough to sneak out."

Jason glared his way. Billy smirked as he read the note. "He's okay, Jason," he assured. "He left a note this time. He decided he wanted to 'see the stars' but said he's not leaving the area."

Jason didn't say anything, he just walked into the main room and turned on the viewing globe. Seconds later, the trackers found the wayward Green Ranger sleeping in the canyons. Jason watched him for a moment then started to punch in a command.

"What are you doing?" Billy asked.

"Teleporting him back," Jason said. "I'm tired of him avoiding us, it's time to settle this."

Harry paled. "That's not a good idea," he warned. "He only sleeps outside like that when he's feeling trapped. Bad time to push him."

Jason ignored the warning, hit the command and the sleeping Green Ranger was teleported into the middle of the room. Jason lightly touched Tommy's shoulder and Tommy reacted by blocking his hand away as he did a leg sweep and knocked Jason to the ground. Jason let out a shocked yelp as he fell.

Tommy awoke in a defensive stance, shocked to find himself in the Command Centre with Billy and Harry staring at him. Then Billy ran over and knelt just behind him and Tommy turned. He grew pale when he saw Jason laying there unconscious.

"W-what happened?" Tommy managed to ask.

"He hit his head when he fell. He'll be okay," Billy assured Tommy as he moved Jason back to the med lab. "Only knocked him out because he's still healing from that trap of Rita's. Don't worry about it."

"But how--" Tommy cut himself off. "I was asleep in the canyons then I wake standing here and … _I_ knocked him out?"

"It's not your fault," Harry assured as he led Tommy back to the med lab.

"I did that?" _How could I have let this happen?_ Tommy asked himself. _It's Jason. I hurt Jas again._

"It's not your fault," Harry repeated. "I warned him, he just didn't listen. It's not your fault."

Billy finished with Jason and turned to them. He met Tommy's tea green eyes and said, "He's right, Tommy. This isn't your fault. Jason will be fine. Just … he'll wake in the morning. Just stay here tonight and talk to him in the morning, okay. It'll be okay."

Tommy nodded slightly, agreeing to stay. But he didn't lay down, he wouldn't even sit. Instead, he spent the rest of the night pacing the length of the med lab as he waited for Jason to awake.

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	41. Stay

**Edited February 20, 2010**

*******

**CHAPTER 41 -- STAY**

Zack, Kim and Trini returned to the Command Centre early the next morning and headed to the med lab. They moved as quietly as they could in the silence, expecting to find the boys still asleep. Instead, they found Harry leaning against a bed, arms casually crossed as his eyes followed Tommy's pacing across the room, and Billy standing over a bed where Jason alone remained laying.

"What's wrong?" Zack immediately asked as they entered the room.

Billy turned to them but Harry responded before he could, and without looking away from Tommy. "Apparently Jason forgot Tommy's a martial artist."

"What?" Zack, Kim and Trini said asked as one.

Billy sighed. "Tommy woke before us last night and after leaving a note, he teleported to the canyons to 'sleep under the stars'. Jason woke next and he freaked at finding Tommy gone. He decided to teleport Tommy back here, despite Harry's warning that Tommy only does that sort of thing when 'feeling trapped'. Tommy was asleep, Jason woke him by touching his shoulder and --" Billy shrugged.

"Reflexes kicked in since _Tommy's a martial artist_," Harry stated again.

"I somehow think that reflex came from more than just being a martial artist," Billy commented to Harry before continuing, "Tommy knocked Jason out before he woke up and now Tommy's the one freaking out and we're waiting for Jason to wake."

"Sorry," Harry drawled, "I meant a _better_ martial artist."

Tommy suddenly stopped pacing. He turned to Harry, his fern green eyes locking with Harry's gaze as he warned, "Harry."

Harry saw the warning but ignored it. "It's _obviously_ true, Tommy. You just knocked him out in your sleep after all."

"Don't," Tommy ordered. Neither one noticed as Jason woke as they spoke. Jason stayed quiet and motioned for the others to remain silent as well.

"Sorry," Harry said, dropping his gaze. He forced himself to meet Tommy's eyes again as he said, "I know how you feel about him, Tommy. I know your feelings towards anything that sounds like it might be disrespectful of him. But what _I_ don't like is that he didn't respect you enough to leave you alone last night. Even after I told him why you do that, he didn't respect your choice."

Tommy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. His eyes shifted to sky blue. Jason started to comment but Tommy began speaking before he could. "I know why Jason reacted that way, bro. I died on him. I'm not sure how I'm here now but I know I died."

"Snake Man gave his life force to you," Harry explained. "You died on _me_ too you know. Difference being _I _still respected your choices."

Tommy was silent a moment as he thought on that. "I didn't know that was possible. But Har, Jason's actions were not a lack of respect. It was --" Tommy hesitated, trying to find the right words. "On the Island of Illusion, we were faced with our worst fears. You know what Jason's was?"

Harry huffed. "No one talks about that island."

"He's the leader, Har. His greatest fear is failing at that, failing to find the way out of one of the challenges we face and one or all of us paying the price," Tommy softly explained. "On the Island, he saw himself lose us all. But he came through that because it was an illusion, because I could convince him it was _just an illusion_. Yesterday, it wasn't an illusion anymore. When I died …" Tommy shook his head, his Columbia blue eyes laughing. "Powers! This conversation's sounding weird even to me."

Harry grinned at that. "Yeah. Talking about your own 'past death' is a little weird." Then the grin fell, tears filled his eyes and he choked out, "Don't _do that_ to me again! Don't leave me alone. I can't… I _need_ you here!"

Tommy quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Harry quickly returned the hug and buried his face in Tommy's shoulder, crying silently. They stayed like that until Harry finally ran out of tears and then Tommy stepped back slightly. Harry looked at the taller boy for a long time then said, "You won't promise not to do it again, will you?"

Tommy shook his head no. "I can't. We were trapped, Harry. The only way out, short of me becoming Rita's toy, was for someone to die. I couldn't let that someone be you or Jason. In the same situation, I'd make the same choice. Maybe that's selfish of me --"

"How could that be selfish?" Jason asked. Tommy and Harry turned to face the rest of the team, just now realizing their whole conversation took place before an audience.

Tommy hesitated on an answer. "I know my own fears," he finally said. "I don't fear my own death, I never have. Many times in my life, I've thought I'd be better off dead than living through what was happening at that point. I've always … made it through I suppose, I've never _wanted_ to die, but I've never _feared_ dying. Because of that, it makes that choice easier." Tommy paused, met Jason's eyes unflinchingly as he explained, "The selfish part is I know I would not survive losing either one of you. Yet I _expect_ that if I … stayed dead for you and Harry to continue on in my absence."

Not wanting the others to overhear his words, Harry hissed angrily, "Should I start saving money back for when you decide to die on me again?"

Tommy shook his head, hissed back, "If I die again, you will go either to the other Rangers or Bulk and Skull and tell them we've been living alone and that being 'in the system' would be dangerous for you. Bulk and Skull at least would understand but you should go wherever you feel most comfortable. -- That said, I hope it never comes to be. I am not planning on dying here, Har."

Harry thought on that a moment then nodded. In English he said, "I can do that. Don't make it necessary though."

Jason commented, "I think you 'expect' too much of me, Tommy."

"You can't give up over one loss Jas," Tommy said. "I know it's--"

Jason walked over, stopping just a couple feet short of where Tommy and Harry stood. His eyes locked with Tommy's, he stated, "One thing I've learned these past months, I don't do well without my best friend here. Even knowing you were safe somewhere else, it almost killed me to just not be able to see for myself. If you … if you stayed dead … Just, I … we all know you'd die for me now. I'm asking you to _live_ for me, even when it seems impossible. Even when you don't want to live for yourself, do it for me. Just -- just live. _Stay_."

Every emotion possible seemed to pass across Tommy's face as Jason spoke, Tommy's eyes flashed through the whole color spectrum before settling on green turquoise. He opened his mouth a couple times to try to respond but no sound came out. Finally, he managed to say, "Okay." He swallowed hard, his eyes changed to emerald as he looked directly into Jason's gaze and said, "Okay. I'll live for you. As long as I can."

Jason smiled, finally relaxing for the first time since he looked into Tommy's dead eyes. "Will you please stay here? Stop avoiding the team?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Tommy assured him. He glanced at his watch and added with a slight grin, "Including school today, seeing as it started over an hour ago."

Jason glanced at his watch and grinned as well. "That's okay. I think we all have a lot to talk about still."

***

Continued.

Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know what you think.


	42. Respect

**CHAPTER 42 -- RESPECT**

Zack leaned against a tree as he watched Tommy teaching the two boys in a clearing in the park. Harry had told him where to find the Green Ranger when he'd come to the Youth Center looking for him, saying Tommy 'still refused' to stay indoors. Harry claimed this was his 'usual reaction' to feeling 'trapped'. That Tommy had to be outside to remember he's free. Zack couldn't understand how someone could have a 'usual reaction' like that.

_He really is good with those kids,_ Zack admitted to himself. _So relaxed, comfortable. Even gentle with them. Almost like he's a different person. I've __**never**__ seen him so … I don't know … unguarded before._

Tommy dismissed the boys then turned around to face Zack directly. No one could describe him as unguarded as his light green eyes met the Black Ranger's gaze.

"Hey Tommy," Zack said, trying for casual. The two boys stopped at the edge of the clearing, watching them.

"Zack," Tommy returned.

"We need to talk."

Tommy just looked at him for a long moment. "Alright. -- Kevin, Kyle, go on. Mrs. Applebee's waiting for you."

Kevin hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Tommy turned to him with a soft smile. "I'll be fine. Zack's not an enemy. You're mom's waiting."

Kevin was still reluctant to go but he finally allowed Kyle to lead him away. Tommy turned back to Zack once they left, his face devoid of emotion.

"So," Zack began. This was harder than he'd expected. "I'm not an enemy huh?"

Tommy shrugged slightly. He didn't move towards Zack nor did he relax his stance where Zack felt he could move into the clearing with Tommy. Tommy wasn't sure what to think of this. Zack never approached him. This was the first time ever that the two boys were alone together. "I don't consider you an enemy, Zack, even if that's how you think of me."

Zack sighed. "You're not my enemy Tommy."

"That's good to know. I've got homework so was there anything else or --"

"I respect what you did for Jason," Zack suddenly exclaimed. "Dying for him and all."

_Is that all it takes to earn your respect? My death?_ Tommy sarcastically thought. But he said nothing, simply looked at the other boy.

Zack started to move into the clearing then decided against it. "You just really … I don't know, you annoy me. You came out of nowhere and you changed everything. You changed _everyone_. We were undefeatable before you showed up."

"No," Tommy stated, cutting him off. "You were undefeated, you were never undefeatable. No one is."

"No one?" Zack returned. "Not even the 'great' Tommy Oliver?"

Tommy closed the distance between them, softly said, "I know what it is to be defeated, to be so broken you can't … you can't even see a reason to try to get back up. I've been defeated so many times, in so many ways … you wouldn't believe. -- I'm sorry if I made you face reality. But it would have happened eventually."

Tommy started to walk off.

Zack called, "I was his best friend!" When Tommy paused Zack continued, "I was Jason's best friend since we became Rangers. Then you show up and he doesn't even know you and you took my place."

Tommy turned to him, his midnight blue eyes staring through the other boy. "I took your place? How? Is Jason any less of a friend to you now? You think he's incapable of being friends with us both? -- Or is it you're jealous because mine and Jason's connection is so intense? I don't understand the connection there, I don't know how it happened, but it's not something any of us can fight. Leave it alone. You're not losing anything."

"You're right," Zack breathed, must to Tommy's surprise. "That is what I've been thinking and it's not fair to Jason. Or you, I guess. I didn't get it was a _connection_ between the two of you, that it wasn't just Jason that felt drawn to you. Until you … you died for him, I just didn't see it. I'm sorry. I don't know that I'll ever really like you but I just want you to know I do respect you."

Tommy's blue turquoise eyes showed surprise. "You don't know me."

"I don't. You don't know me either," Zack pointed out. "Maybe when we do, we'll like each other. Or maybe we'll hate each other. But whatever the future brings, I will always respect you for what I've already seen."

Tommy smiled, his eyes shaded to light blue. He held his hand out to the Black Ranger. "Not enemies is a good enough starting point," Tommy said.

Zack smiled as he accepted the Green Ranger's hand. He'd considered the other his enemy for too long. First as Rangers then as competition for Jason's and the others' friendships. "Not enemies is a great new beginning," Zack agreed.

***

Continued - Let me know what you think!


	43. Hart's Dance

**CHAPTER 43 -- HART'S DANCE**

Billy and Kim walked through Angel Grove Park, looking for Tommy. "There he is!" Kim exclaimed as she finally caught a glimpse of him lounging casually against a tree, a book propped up on his knee. She hurried over, Billy just behind her. "Hi Tommy! Oh," she said on seeing Bulk and Skull sitting with him. "What are _they_ doing here?"

Bulk and Skull stayed silent. Tommy glanced up at her, annoyance shining from his clear blue eyes. "Studying," Tommy said. "Group projects tend to go better when the whole group works on the project."

"But it's summer," she responded. A slight pause then, "Did you fail a class or something? I can't see that. I mean, I'm sure they did," she motioned towards Bulk and Skull who still didn't speak. "I can't imagine them passing anyth--"

"Kim, don't," Billy warned.

"Kimberly," Tommy cut her off at the same moment. "I have no interest in listening to anyone's words of hate. Such derogatory behavior does not do anyone any good. You're better than that. -- If you must know, none of us failed. We're taking an extra course on American History."

"Mr. Broughton's foreign transfer class," Billy stated into the silence. "Let me know if you need any assistance."

"The three of us?" Tommy questioned.

Billy nodded. "Yes. I would never expect you to choose among your friends, Tommy. Nor have I had any reason to dislike them since they decided to stand for you."

"Thanks," Tommy said with a smile. "But we're doing okay right now though we _do _still have a lot to do. Did you guys need something or were you just passing through?"

Kim responded, "I was looking for you. You're running out of time you know. The dance is tomorrow."

Confusion shown in Tommy's royal blue eyes. "Quoi parlent-ils?" he quietly asked of Bulk.

Bulk grinned and explained, "She's expecting you to ask her to the dance."

"Oh." He didn't sound happy though. He closed his book and sat it aside as he stood. "Kim, would you walk with me a moment?"

Once they'd walked off, Billy commented, "You know French."

Bulk said, "It's a common enough language back home."

"I'm trying to learn," Billy admitted. "I think … Tommy's English is great but I get the feeling he thinks in French. I thought I might understand him better if I understood his language."

Skull said, "I'm not sure any language base is going to explain Tommy to you but it is a good start."

"It will show him you see him as worth the effort involve in learning the language, if nothing else," Bulk agreed. "You need any help with that, let me know. Tommy and I have been teaching Skull too."

Billy nodded. "Thank you. You both have grown a lot since Tommy moved here. If it's not too personal, what did he do that changed things for you? I've seen both of you go to great lengths to support him _and_ to keep us from noticing that."

Bulk explained the last. "We saw no reason to set up a situtation where he had to choose between friends."

Skull answered, "Tommy saved my life. Anything more than that _is_ too personal."

"That makes sense. Tommy's _always_ saving someone." Billy glanced up as he saw Tommy walking back over. "I have to go comfort a friend now. It was nice to finally meet the real you."

***

Tommy and Kim stood by the lake in silence. Finally, Tommy sighed and said, "Kim."

"Yes?" she quickly said, sounding excited.

Tommy hesitated. "I'm sorry."

Her face fell. "What?"

"Kim. I'm not asking you to the dance. I'm not asking you on any dates. Not now, not in the near future either."

"I -- I thought you liked me?" she said, near tears.

"I do," he admitted. "I really like a lot of things about you Kim. It's just, there's some things I don't much like about you either. Too much for us to be dating right now." Tommy paused, met her eyes for a moment. "You are beautiful. And you're usually a very sweet girl. But you have a lot of growing up to do still, Kimmy. I have … I have too much history, too much has happened in my life for me to fit what you're looking for right now. I think if we dated right now, you'd just end up hating me because I can't be what you think I am."

"I don't understand," she breathed.

"I have too many secrets, too many things I'm not willing to talk about with anyone. It wouldn't be fair to either one of us for us to date right now," Tommy tried to explain. "Zordon said you know when it's right with someone because you want to let them into the depths of your soul. You know it's love when they know the worst things about you and still want to be there. I'm not ready for that. I -- I can't let anyone that close yet. We're teammates, Kim, and I'd like to think we're friends. But I'm just not ready to be anything else. Are you okay with that? Can we be friends and just get to know each other that way?"

Kim nodded though there were tears in her eyes. Tommy's words reminded her of what her mom told her when her parents were getting divorced. _We should have let ourselves be friends first_, her mom had said. _We skipped that step and maybe if we hadn't, we would have known each other well enough to last. _"I think I understand Tommy. We can just be friends for now, see where things go from there. -- I guess you need to get back to work on that history assignment." _But why did you talk to Zordon about it? Why not your parents? Zordon's great but he's not who I'd talk to about things like that._

Tommy nodded. "I'll see you later Kim." He walked back over to the other boys. Catching Billy's eyes, he said, "She's by the lake."

Billy nodded. "Give me a call when you have time, please," he requested. "I have something I'd like to ask you."

"I'll call tonight."

***

Continued


	44. Candle

**CHAPTER 44 -- CANDLE**

Billy teleported by the lake and walked over to where Tommy stood staring out across the water.

"You needed to ask me something?" Tommy said.

"Yes," Billy said. But for a long moment, he simply stood there in silence. "On the Island, you told me I was targeted because I'm the 'most dangerous enemy'. But I haven't been."

"Mental ingenuity …"

"Only counts if you actually use it," Billy cut him off. "I haven't truly done so. I've … I've assumed we would win because we're the good guys. I thought even if we died it would be in saving our world, not in failing to do so. That's how it always works in the movies after all. But this is real life. I haven't given this my all because I never saw it as necessary, until we were on the Island. I realized there that all it took for us to lose was for someone Powerful enough choosing not to be good. I also realized the opposite, that we could fail by simply taking for granted that we'll win in the end and therefore not putting forth the effort required to do so." Billy met Tommy's blue turquoise gaze unflinchingly. "I will no longer take everything for granted. That is why I wish to ask you to teach me."

"Teach you what?" Tommy questioned.

Billy hesitated. He hadn't expected that question, thinking the answer obvious. "Teach me to fight."

"There are many ways to fight. What is it you want to know?"

"I want -- I want to know how to fight like you do," Billy hesitantly explained. "I want to learn tactics, how to outthink my enemies, those things you said win wars. I want to know how to save our world. How to restore peace to our world."

Tommy smiled sadly, a sorrowful look in his sky blue eyes. "There's no such thing, Billy. There has never been and there will never be 'peace on Earth'. Maybe we'll stop the aliens but people will always find something to fight over. The only real peace is that found within a person's own soul. -- What do you think is the difference between mine and Jason's fighting styles?"

Billy thought a moment before even trying to answer that. "Reasoning." He glanced at Tommy and, encouraged by his smile, continued, "Jason was signed up for lessons to learn discipline and he did so well because he thought it fun. He never saw it as important really until we became Rangers. You -- I get the feeling it's always been important to you. Like if you didn't learn it well enough you wouldn't … I don't know, like you thought it was about survival?"

Tommy nodded. "I never saw it as fun. Until sparring Jason; that's fun. I learned because I would have died if I didn't. I didn't learn at some school like he did either. I learned on the streets, from those that went into every fight with a kill or be killed attitude. Most of what I can teach can't be used in those silly tournaments but in real life, in life or death conflicts, there are no rules. Is that what you want to learn?"

"We're at war. A life or death struggle for the future of our world," Billy responded. "I believe that is exactly what I need to learn."

"In that case, I would be honored to teach you what I can," Tommy agreed.

Billy smiled. "Thanks. When should we -- putties!!"

Tommy was already turning, he caught the first putty's kick. He almost swore as he counted around four dozen putties blocking them in on three sides with the lake at their backs. Placing himself in front of Billy, he ordered, "Morph and call the others!"

The putties surged forward, not giving Tommy a chance to morph. Billy stepped back to the very edge of the lake and called his morpher to him. Three putties jumped over Tommy and focused on Billy, knocked his morher from his hand and into the water.

Billy managed to take out one of the putties. The other two knocked him in the water. Seeing his morpher, Billy dove deeper and retrieved it before surfacing just in time to see the putties teleport out -- with Tommy.

"No!"

***

Tommy found himself teleported into a cell in a Dark Dimension, alone. Though he was sure it wouldn't work, he tried to teleport out, then attempted to call the others.

"Your telecommunication device won't work in this dimension," Goldar stated as he walked up on the other side of the cell bars.

"I didn't think it would," Tommy admitted. "Just would've felt like an idiot if I hadn't tried it and that's all it would've taken. So why was I specifically targeted this time?"

"Did you notice the candle behind you?"

Tommy turned around. In the far corner of the cell, behind a force field, stood a tall green candle. "That explains why it's brighter in here than usual," he commented dryly. "Though I highly doubt Rita put it in here to dispel the darkness."

Goldar chuckled at this then grew serious. "No, she did not. -- The candle is made of a special wax that allowed Rita to link it to your Powers."

Tommy turned to him with fear clear in his blue-grey eyes.

"Rita offers you a choice. Serve her and you may keep your Powers. If you refuse, you will lose your Powers when the candle burns out and she will own the Power then."

"Goldar?"

"There is nothing I can do, my friend," Goldar informed. "Our lord will kill her for this gambit when he arrives. He refused her the Green Powers once, she was not even supposed to have the Coin. But he is not here to stop this and there is nothing that we can do for you."

***

continued


	45. Peace on Earth

**CHAPTER 45 -- PEACE ON EARTH**

"Do you think we'll ever see peace on Earth?"

The question broke the silence of the last hour as each Ranger concentrated on their part of the search for their abducted teammate. The others turned to him but Billy didn't look up from his console to see their reactions.

"'Course we will," Zack said. "Soon as we win this war."

Harry scoffed. "Like the moment we beat the aliens, which is far from a given anyway, all of humanity will decide to stop killing itself? You're dreaming, man."

"What the hell do you think we're fighting for if not peace?" Zack demanded.

"I don't know what _you're_ fighting for," Harry responded. "Everyone's different."

Jason held his hand up, silencing Zack's response. He asked, "What brought this up, Blue Boy?"

"Our Greenman," Billy stated, still not looking up from his scans. "I've been thinking about what he said and trying to decide if he's right or not. So I was curious what the rest of you thought."

Jason waited a moment but Billy didn't add anything to this. "I don't know if peace on Earth is possible or not," Jason said, contemplatively. "Angel Grove's a pretty small town really, but even in our school, there's not really peace. I know of fights happening at least weekly, I'm sure there's others I don't know about. If we can't even avoid fighting among a small number like our school, is there really a chance of everyone on the world not fighting each other?"

"And it's over the stupidest stuff too," Trini agreed. "If you point out to them how stupid it is they're likely to attack you for that though. It's safest to just stay out of it."

"But if you see something's wrong and you say nothing then you're supporting it. You're silence is what allows the evil to continue," Harry stated, causing Trini to think. She'd always thought staying out of trouble was best but what if it was her silence that allowed those things to continue? She fought as a Ranger believing that she and a few friends could save their world from alien conquerors, from an empire thousands of worlds strong. If that was true, wasn't it even more possible that a single person standing for what was right could make a difference in such a small place as their school?

None of them thought that Harry's words might be him questioning his own actions. Harry especially wondered at his actions in keeping silent on his and Tommy's living situation, allowing Tommy to take the burden of caring for them alone. And, though Tommy was careful not to go into how he made most the money they needed, Harry knew there were only so many ways to do so, and even fewer that Tommy would do. He'd never bring harm to innocents therefore he was most likely following the path most harmful to himself. Yet Harry allowed it, out of fear of what would happen to himself if he spoke the truth to anyone. Would he lose his freedom? But what about Tommy? Was Tommy really free if he was required to do that stuff to support them?

Kim said, "We have come along way though. I mean, look at everything we study in history. Slavery used to be common place, now our world knows that's wrong. I don't know if it's gone or not but if it does still exist, they have to hide 'cause we know it's wrong. And things like the Crusades don't happen anymore. Used to, kings and princes made their names by killing people that didn't believe the same religion. Now if someone does that, it's called terrorism and the world in general is against it. That's improvement, even if it's not perfect."

Zack thought on that, questioning his original thought. "But half of that just exists today because of laws against the old ways. If there wasn't a law against owning slaves, would people have really just stopped?"

"Those laws came about because people stood up and demanded them. And they only work because the people support them, either through believing in them or in keeping their silence," Trini said. "As Harry said. So the existence of those laws shows growth."

"Maybe peace on Earth is possible. In the future, with enough growth," Jason said. "I'm not sure any of us will live long enough to see that though. But we can find our own peace and live an example for the rest of the world."

Billy nodded. "Tommy said the only real peace is found within a person's own soul."

Harry stood from the console where he'd been working. "This search didn't find him either. What's the next?"

"Those searches you five are running are the last of the existing methods," Billy stated, trying not to show how worried he was that nothing had found Tommy yet. "I'm working a new algorithm based on the differences between our Powers and Tommy's."

"In that case, I'm headed home. I'm going to try some mage searches and there's too many distractions here right now."

"Won't your parents distract you or catch you?" Trini questioned.

"No one'll be home right now," Harry answered honestly, flinching inwardly at the lie hidden within that truth. He had some thinking to do, some decisions to make on his own. Tommy couldn't help him with these questions.

***

Tommy sat in the corner of the cell, opposite of the green candle, concentrating on the flame. He searched for a way to extinguish the flame with his mage abilities yet so far nothing worked. The shield, meant to block the Ranger from crossing, was working just as well to block his mage abilities. It seemed the abilities were too engrained with his Ranger Powers anymore, when he managed to separate the Powers it took too much of his strength to do so and left the part to pass the shield too small to succeed in any controlled actions.

He didn't give up though. He kept working through different methods of calling and controlling that Zordon had shown them. _If only we'd figured out what type of mage I am. Then I'd know what path to take that held the most power for me instead of having to go through every possible path._

But in all the time he and Harry had been working with Zordon, they hadn't been able to narrow down what type of magic flowed within either boy, only that whatever type it was in them was similar. Even Zordon was growing frustrated at this inability to name their path. Tommy suspected it was a difference in worlds but Zordon seemed convinced that this world had no Powerful therefore they must have a connection to one of the Powered worlds. This belief of Zordon's made Tommy think they might be better off learning by themselves than paying too much attention to the old Eltarian.

_Enough,_ Tommy berated himself. _This won't get anywhere if I don't find my center. Stop questioning, believe in myself. Let go of the fear and frustration and find my peace._

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	46. Mage Born

**CHAPTER 46 -- MAGE BORN**

Harry brushed his hand through his hair as he stood. "Saoirse."

The snake slithered into the room.

"This isn't working. I can't scan for Tommy from here. I think it's the protective shield he put up when we moved in that's interfering. The only place I can think of that'll have his essence enough to focus on but not have other people interrupting me is the canyons, but I can't find his spot on my own. I always get turned around out there. Can you find that spot again?"

Saoirse nodded. "I can smell his essence there always."

***

"Hungry?"

Tommy's eyes opened as he turned to face Scorpina. His eyes were glowing cerulean with power and Scorpina took a deep breath, almost dropping the plate in her hands from her shock. "You're mage born?" she breathed softly.

The glow slowly faded from his eyes. "You didn't know?" he returned, just as softly.

"I, uh, suppose there were some major hints to that, now that I think on it. Here," she quickly slid the plate through the bars to him. "It's safe, I made it."

Tommy began eating without hesitation. "It's good."

"You're trying to beat Rita's magic."

"Of course."

Scorpina didn't say anything else as he ate. She stared across at the shielded green candle. It was about a third gone already. A level that would effect Tommy's control of the Power though it was all still with him. She knew how such magic worked well enough to know it would be somewhere in the last third or fourth of the candle before it could actually transfer the Power from Tommy to Rita. Whatever happened, she would have to see something done to stop this before then. Even if it cost her life. If Rita received that Power on top of her own, she could threaten their Lord and the Empire itself and that was not something any loyal Imperial could allow.

She turned her attention back to Tommy. He was still eating, neat and casually. He'd been in the cell almost twenty four hours and this was the first chance any of them had to bring him food since Rita forbid it. He'd also been working with magic during that time _and_ having the candle mess up his power control. Yet he still didn't rush eating. It was an amazing show of self control. It was yet another sign of his less than stellar past, she knew.

She could see a tightness around his eyes, a slight give in his shoulders that showed the strain he was fighting not to show. He was strong, with or without Ranger Power. She wondered how this would effect him whether or not Rita's plan was successful. Would Tommy be okay or was he fully connected to the Power? The Green Dragon was a unique Power, held almost exclusively by those of the Imperial family because of its unique nature. Once a member of the Imperial family was bound with the Power, they could not pass on that Power and survive. They had to carry the Coin until they came of age and came into their own power. At that point, the Coin could be passed to any other as the Power would still remain a part of the original holder. But to have it removed before they came of age or to have it stripped like Rita was trying to do with Tommy would end in a prolonged and painful death. But was that an issue of the Power itself or was it a side effect of the Imperial family's own power being so close a match to the Green Dragon?

Even if it was the closeness of the powers, what would that mean for Tommy? The Imperial family was known as Dragon Lords, Serpent Masters. They could speak to and control any serpent -- any reptile really, and that connected to the Power of the Green Dragon strongly. Yet Tommy also had an affinity with snakes at least. She didn't know if he could speak their language but she did know he had a pet snake even before he became the Green Ranger. And he interacted with them in a manner that suggested a level of understanding beyond the norm.

More questions. Everything about this boy just added questions atop of questions. He was a true enigma. She would share her latest questions with her Lord in their next communication but the important thing right this moment was to assure that Rita's actions did not succeed.

"Be careful, Tommy," she warned as he finished eating. He looked up at her, a question in his Persian blue eyes. "I don't know how strong your mage power is but Rita is a fully trained witch. She has so much more experience than you possibly could … don't push so hard or so far that you end up hurt, Tommy. I'll --" She cut herself off. Then, deciding to risk it, she knelt down and leaned in as close as she could without touching the bars and breathed, "This won't happen, Tommy. We will not allow her to succeed in this."

Tommy met her eyes for a long moment then smiled slightly and nodded. Scorpina returned the smile before she stood and rushed out. Tommy turned his attention back to the candle, trying to decide on his next course of action. He trusted Scorpina, to a point. But he would not just sit there and wait for Scorpina, or anyone, to save him. It just wasn't in his nature.

***

"It isn't working," Harry said to Saoirse. He was sitting at Tommy's usual place in the canyons, though not quite so close to the edge. "I can … It's like I can feel him, I can almost find him but not enough. And he's too preoccupied with something, I'm not sure I really want to know what, everything considered. But he's preoccupied and he doesn't seem to be noticing me searching for him. If he doesn't respond, how am I to find him?"

"I can't believe this," a voice said behind him and Harry jumped to his feet and turned around. Scorpina continued, "I finally notice Tommy's mage born and what next? I look up his 'brother' and here you are talking to a snake. Are you even from this planet? -- Or is it a power born to this world that is so close to the Imperial family that drew Rita?"

Harry stared at her in confusion. He was in a defensive stance but made no move since Scorpina was just standing casually. It was one of the Ranger rules, never escalate a battle. Which Harry was sure also covered not _starting_ the battle either. "Why are you here?" he demanded.

Scorpina held her hand out to him, offering him a memory card like those used within the Command Centre. Harry didn't move. "Tommy's in danger. This will help him."

"Why?"

"Because it is Tommy." She smiled as he hesitantly accepted the memory card. "It's not like I would care if the six of you little Rangers fell over dead but Tommy is different. He is extraordinary."

Harry met her eyes and smirked. "He got to you. You and Goldar both, huh. What was it that got you the most? That he's so 'extraordinary' or that he knows how unique he is and wishes he wasn't?"

Harry didn't wait for a response, if one was coming. He simply picked Saoirse up and teleported away -- with the memory card.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	47. Control

**CHAPTER 47 -- CONTROL**

Billy, Jason and Harry leaned over a console, reviewing the information on the memory card Scorpina gave Harry. Saoirse occasionally hissed a suggestion of her own which Harry translated for the others. As far across the Command Centre as was possible while remaining in the same room, Zack, Trini and Kim waited for them to decide on a plan.

"Alright," Harry said, raising his voice so everyone heard. "I'll take Saoirse home so that the terrified trio over there can come with us." He teleported out before they could voice their complaints.

"He does have a valid complaint himself," Billy pointed out. "Such a fear can easily be used against you. What would you do if Rita sent a snake monster after you?"

Trini answered, "I'd send Tommy to tell it to go away."

"And if Tommy couldn't get to you?"

Kim responded to this one. "We'd do what Zordon says we're so good at. We'd 'raise to the occasion'."

Billy met Jason's eyes for a moment before turning his attention to the others. "That's not the best of plans. -- I asked Tommy to train me. So I know I'm ready for whatever occasion rather than counting on luck to favor me."

"You did what?" Zack complained. "What the hell could Tommy teach you that we don't --"

"Considering he can take any or all of us in a match," Jason pointed out, "I'd say he has plenty to teach us just there. It's a good idea. Maybe I should see if he'd train the group."

Billy nodded. "I think you should ask. Not only would it help the team, I think it might help him to be asked."

***

Tommy still sat in the corner of the cell, staring at the candle. He'd tried everything he'd been taught but nothing even came close to working. The shield continued to block too much and what remained was simply too little to work with.

_Calm control isn't working_, Tommy thought to himself._ So maybe what I need isn't calm or control? Zordon claims both are required to work with the power at all yet … the first time I ever felt the magic in me, I was nowhere near calm and it sure wasn't controlled. And it was among the most powerful I've ever felt it too. I would have died if it hadn't thrown Seetha's fighters off me then. That and many more times were all before I knew I had magic. It wasn't controlled but -- there wasn't calm, it was always strong emotion. Fear, anger, panic. If I can call up a strong enough emotion, will it work?_

Tommy focused on the candle once again. It was halfway gone already and seeing that, a thrill of fear traveled though him. The shield shimmered. Tommy smirked, taking that as a good sign. He could do this. _After all,_ he thought to himself. _What's the worst that could happen?_

With that, he closed his eyes and ignored his surroundings, immersing himself in his thoughts and memories. Remembering Seetha and everything that man forced him to do throughout his life there, memories filled with fear and revulsion. He thought of Rita and her control spell, of every time she targeted him or those he cared about since he arrived. A great rage filled him. Magic filled the air, whipping around him like a hurricane as he sat unmoving in the eye of the storm.

***

"Billy's programmed the teleport to take us directly to this cell where Tommy's being held," Jason began.

Zack interrupted, "If Scorpina's info isn't a trap."

"If you were that worried about it, you should've been over with us when we were planning," Harry pointed out.

Jason ignored them both. "We morph then teleport to Tommy, get him and that candle, and return here. -- It's morphin' time!"

Once they were morphed, Billy said, "Commencing teleportation."

They disappeared in an array of light … and reappeared in a maelstrom.

"What the hell?" Harry said, feeling the wild magic in the storm around them. His eyes scanning the cell for his brother and he almost swore when he finally saw him. Tommy sat on the other side of the melted sludge that used to be the bars of his cage, in the eye of the storm, his eyes closed. Across from him was the green candle. As Harry turned his attention that way, the shield around the candle imploded, the flame extinguished, and the candle just suddenly ceased to exist.

"There's Tommy!" Kim exclaimed as she started towards him. Harry stopped her immediately.

"Stay back! This magic could kill you before you got halfway to him!" Harry warned them all. He took a deep, centering breath and focused on his magic. Once he felt it responding, he let a tendril out and touch Tommy's magic, barely brushing the edge. At the touch, Tommy's magic calmed, settling as it recognized Harry's. The maelstrom faded away and Tommy's sage green eyes opened, shading to emerald as he met Harry's gaze.

Harry smiled but it quickly fled as fear replaced it when Tommy fainted over. Harry and Jason were by Tommy's side immediately.

"Blue boy, get us outta here," Jason ordered.

"Easily," Billy said as he pressed the usual command. Whatever Tommy did, it brought down all shields making the signal boosters were unnecessary.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	48. One Year

**CHAPTER 48 -- ONE YEAR**

Tommy awoke in the empty med lab and followed the sounds of his teammates' voices. Silence fell as he entered the main room. Everyone turned to him with shocked expressions, unmoving until Harry ran over and threw his arms around his brother.

"I thought I'd lost you," Harry breathed.

Tommy started to respond but was stopped as the other Rangers -- all five Rangers followed Harry's example. Tommy tensed but managed not to otherwise react to the shock of being hugged by the entire team. It would have been surprising to him for any of them to do this, Zack doing so was the most shocking though. Finally their exuberance died down a bit and they released him. Tommy took several steps back the moment he was freed.

"What's the deal?" Tommy asked, confused. "It was less than two days."

The others shared a look. Jason informed, "Tommy, bro. You've been unconscious since we brought you back _over a month ago_. We've been trying to find out what was wrong and how to wake you all this time but nothing worked. That candle of Rita's caused a lot of trouble."

Billy took over. "It did not effect your Power levels at all. However it did managed to effect something before you destroyed it … as you did. The med lab systems couldn't connect with you like usual, I've yet to figure out exactly why. The most the systems could do is keep your body healthy while waiting for you to wake on your own. Most the scans wouldn't work anymore. The only one that did is the Power levels scan which showed no change on your Ranger levels and an increase in your Mage levels."

Tommy remained silent as he took this in, then said, "Over a month?"

"Yeah," Zack said. "So you've officially been a Ranger for a year now. Oh, and you missed the first week of school. Harry sent a note saying you're in France again on another family emergency. I wish my dad would write notes like that on demand."

Tommy nodded, accepting this. If it was just the first week of school then he might have 'officially' been a Ranger a year but he was still a couple weeks short of a year on the team. "Our dad isn't writing notes on demand, Zack. Harry magicked it."

Zack looked at Harry who smirked and said, "Mage born, remember? It's the easiest way to forge it."

Jason commented, "We made a few decisions while you were, uh, resting bro. Billy told us he asked you to teach him. If you're willing, we'd like you to teach the whole team whatever you think we might should know."

Tommy just looked at him for a long moment. Trini commented, "We discussed it and agreed that you are the only one among us that really seems to know how to fight a war. So it only makes sense."

"Okay. If that's what you want," Tommy agreed. "What is today?"

"It's Friday."

"Alright. I'm a bit tired so I'm heading home. Billy, could you help me catch up on what I've missed already this year tomorrow? Around noon in the park?" When Billy agreed, Tommy nodded. "We'll figure out the training schedule after that. I'll need a little time to plan it, since it's everyone."

Tommy teleported out followed immediately by Harry. They appeared in the park.

"Where are you really going?" Harry questioned.

Tommy said, "I'm calling my students to let them know I'm 'back in the country'. We have rent due and I need to contact my non-Ranger friends too."

Harry wondered who the non-Ranger friends were but didn't ask. "I could help with rent."

"No. Go home, Harry. Nothing's changed." Tommy walked off without another word. Harry watched him go until he was out of sight.

"Something's changed, Tommy," Harry said softly to himself. "I'm changing. I can't continue to watch this in silence much longer."

***

Tommy tapped on Bulk's window. Bulk jumped at the sound while Skull just moved to open the window. "What is it with you and windows?" Skull asked as Tommy entered. "You have something against using doors like most people?"

Tommy shrugged. "I can't see through a door." He paused then corrected, "Yet anyway. There's probably some way to use these Powers to see through barriers."

Tommy took the seat Bulk motioned towards. Bulk asked, "So where have you been? The school seems to think France so I'm assuming Ranger related?"

"It's Ranger related," Tommy agreed. He informed them of the green candle, that he managed to destroy it before it could strip his Powers. "And apparently I've been unconscious over a month since then. I'm okay now though. Can I borrow your phone?"

Skull handed the phone over. "At least you're okay now. We were worried about you."

Tommy smiled shyly as he dialed a number. After a moment, the call was answered. "Mrs. Applebee?" Tommy asked. "Yes. I'm back from 'France'. I'm fine. The 'family' is good, everyone where they're supposed to be. -- Yeah. Billy's helping me catch up missed school work tomorrow so if the boys want a lesson Sunday we can meet at the usual time in the park. -- Okay, I'll see you then."

Tommy hung up then called the Youth Center and had a similar conversation with Ernie, though more veiled as he wasn't sure if Ernie knew he was a Ranger or not. Once done there, he settled in to visit with Bulk and Skull, waiting for it to be late enough for him to go out and earn the rent money.

After awhile, Skull said, "We were wondering if you could teach us martial arts. I know you're busy and all so if you don't have the time we understand. It's just, if my old man is stupid enough to come back, I'd really like to be able to do something besides call you to rescue me."

"I'll make the time," Tommy assured. "Since you both know of the Ranger thing, you'll understand when I don't show up sometimes so it'll work. Your backyard is large enough to work out in so just do it here?"

"Works for us," Bulk agreed. "Dad agreed to our lessons, he'll pay you the same rate as the schools charge."

Tommy smiled. With that to help out, he'd be able to avoid the streets most the time. Glancing at the clock he stood. Tonight wasn't one of those nights he'd get away with avoiding the worst methods of earning a living. "I've gotta go now. I'll see you guys Monday. If you want, we can meet here after school for your first lesson."

"Great. We'll see you then," Skull agreed.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	49. Enter the Dragon Lord

**CHAPTER 49 -- ENTER THE DRAGON LORD**

Tommy woke from a nightmare early the next morning after less than two hours sleep and with no interest in trying to rest more. After dressing as quietly as possible and cooking the last of the eggs, Tommy looked in on Harry and found him still resting, so Tommy wrote a quick note informing breakfast was in the refrigerator to be reheated. After double checking that he had his communicator, Tommy silently exited, locking the door behind him.

***

Goldar and Scorpina were walking through the moon castle, talking softly in the empty corridors when suddenly the whole place shook. They braced themselves until everything settled once more.

"You don't think … could that mean?" Goldar said.

Scorpina just grinned in response. The two warriors turned and ran. Finster met up with them several feet short of the throne room entrance as they slowed to a more respectable pace.

"Does this mean what I hope it means?" Finster questioned.

Scorpina laughed. "I swear both of you have spent too much time studying Earth teenagers. Now you're starting to sound like them."

They fell silent as they entered the throne room and approached the throne. They knelt respectfully. Scorpina couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across her face as she looked upon her Lord and Master in person for the first time in over a hundred years. "Lord Zedd," she breathed.

Slowly the other inhabitants of the castle entered and knelt before him, in their places behind the two warriors and the healer/creator. Silence settled over the room as the last being took their place before the Lord. Zedd motioned them to rise.

The main doors suddenly banged open and Rita walked in screeching, "What is with all this racket so early in the morning?! You know I need my beauty sleep and --" She cut off abruptly as she finally noticed the entirety of the castle population gathered before the throne. Her eyes tracked to the throne and she paled dramatically when she saw her Lord glaring her way. "M-my Lord, what an honor to --"

"Silence woman," Zedd hissed. She fell silent where she stood. Zedd glared at her until she finally knelt. He let the silence build. Then he said, "Tell me, woman. What have you done with the Green Dragon Coin?"

"I -- I have done n-nothing, m-my Lord," Rita stammered.

"Truly? Then you would know nothing of it's current whereabouts?"

"O-of course not, m-my Lord. Th-that power belongs to -- to your family alone."

Zedd chuckled darkly. "Then explain to me how the Green Dragon is currently _active_ on the world this moon orbits."

Rita gaped at him, unable to come up with any response. Zedd said, "Scorpina, my dear. Where is the Green Ranger?"

"My Lord," Scorpina said and repeated what she had informed him in her secret communications with him through the last year. "After Zordon's Rangers managed to break the spell Rita placed upon him, the Green Ranger joined them against Rita. He is currently on Earth, in Angel Grove where the whole of the Ranger team resides."

Zedd turned to Rita again. "You were 'unaware' that you stole the Coin, bespelled a child and gave him the Power, then lost control of him?" he coldly questioned.

"I- I- I--" Rita stammered.

Zedd motioned abruptly towards her and two Wraths stepped out of the shadows and bound the witch, dragging her off. He dismissed the gathering and called Goldar and Scorpina to join him as he stepped down from the throne and made his way to the balcony overlooking Earth. "I would see this child whom holds you both so enthralled."

Goldar and Scorpina scanned until they found Tommy walking down a street in the 'bad' part of town. They pointed him out to Zedd.

***

A boy of around six years old saw Tommy walking by and waved enthusiastically, causing Tommy to grin. The twelve year old and fifteen year old boys beside the child nodded their heads in acknowledgement of him. They didn't really know Tommy nor Tommy them but they respected him. All the children of the streets respected him since it was known Tommy would stand for them when needed.

Tommy nodded back as he continued on his way. A ways down the street, another boy, about sixteen years old, exited his hangout and started down the street with a purposeful stride. Another familiar face, Tommy was fairly certain he was a gang boss, or second in command at the very least. He knew next to nothing of the local sets though -- something Rangering kept him from discovering as everywhere else that was the first thing he looked into.

As the other boy stepped off the curb, a car suddenly sped around the corner and crashed into the boy, gaining speed as it hit and continued on down the street, leaving the boy's bloodied and broken form on the street behind them.

Anger flared within Tommy at this. He turned, his gaze locked on the fleeing vehicle. The wheels and tires and axles disappeared out from under the car and it dropped to the street. The loud cry of metal skidding over pavement echoed through the neighborhood, many faces looked out upon the street. The car finally came to a stop and the driver immediately tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. Growing frantic, he tried to break the window out, then tried to shoot it out yet the glass refused to break.

Tommy ignored the car as he made his way across the street and down to where the boy lay. Over a dozen other boys surrounded the injured boy. "Let me through," Tommy ordered quietly, his voice cutting through the fearful yells around him. A path cleared and Tommy knelt beside the boy, glad to see he still lived.

"What's your name?" Tommy asked as he checked the injuries.

"Y' wanna know or y' jus' askin'?" the boy responded with only a slight slurring of the words to show the pain he was in.

"Just asking mostly." Tommy shrugged. He reached wrapped his magic around the injured boy, easing the pain. "It's a method of checking injuries. It's always a bad sign if the answer's 'I don't know'. You're hurt pretty bad. Has anyone called an ambulance?"

"No hospital, no doctor," the boy ordered.

Tommy nodded, not at all surprised. There were many reasons to avoid such institutions after all.

"What's your name?" the boy returned Tommy's words.

"Depends on who you ask," Tommy answered almost absently. The wounds were bad, if he wouldn't go to the hospital then there was only one way he could survive. Tommy sighed as he glanced up and met the boy's eyes. "Your gang, are you part of the meat trade?"

The boy looked surprised at the question. "Why do I get the feeling you're asking if I deserve to live?"

"Because I'm asking if you deserve to live," Tommy stated matter-of-fact. "So answer my question. -- And I will know if you lie to me."

His eyes glanced passed Tommy to where he could just see the car that hit him flat on the road with the entire wheel assembly missing. "You know, I believe you would," he breathed before meeting Tommy's gaze once again. "We don't deal in flesh. Many of my boys are with us 'cause they escaped that life."

Tommy felt the truth in his words. "Okay," he said. Then concentrating on his mage power, he started knitting bones back together, sealing torn skin and muscle, repairing blood vessels. No one made a sound as they watched the boy's body slowly repair itself before their eyes. Finally it was done. Tommy stood and offered a hand up to the other boy, who accepted immediately.

"None of this happened," Tommy said as he turned to leave, the other boys clearing a path for him. He stopped just passed them and turned to face the gang leader once again. "The car's doors will open to your touch only."

The boy smirked at this. "Name's Connor Street," he finally introduced himself. "You need anything from me or my boys just say the word."

"I might send some lost ones your way," Tommy said in response. "I tend to find them, or they find me." He turned and started off again.

Connor watched him walking off for a moment then called out, "Hey! Dragon!"

Tommy stopped again, turned back to him with a slight smirk. "Why Dragon?"

"You are, aren't you? The Green Dragon Ranger?"

"If I was, it would still be against their rules to say," he responded with just a hint of laughter. "Otherwise at least one of that team would have said who they are." He started off again only to stop once more.

"Dragon! What's your name?"

Tommy did laugh at this. "That works well enough. I'm running late now so good day, Connor Street."

***

Zedd watched as Tommy left Connor Street behind. Chuckling, Zedd returned to his throne. "You are most correct, my dear Scorpina. That child is quite interesting."

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	50. Rules of Engagement

**CHAPTER 50 -- RULES OF ENGAGEMENT**

Zedd tapped a claw against the arm of his throne, the only sound in the otherwise silent throne room. After some time of contemplation, Zedd said, "I will send a squadron of my Wraths after the boy. I wish to speak with this child now."

"My Lord," Scorpina said, bowing slightly. "While I do not doubt that so many of your legendary Wraths could contain him, Tommy is a strong and prideful warrior even for so young a child. He would be less than willing to speak with you under such circumstances. There is an easier way, one that requires waiting just a short time but that would take less time than forcing such a warrior to speak against his will."

Zedd glared at her for a long moment of silence. Scorpina found herself sweating his reaction. Finally Zedd said, "You believe you know a way to get one of Zordon's Rangers to willingly speak to me?"

Goldar spoke up. "Tommy is not Zordon's Ranger. He's just a Ranger fighting with Zordon's team. He is loyal to the other Rangers, very protective of the Red Ranger and White Ranger, but he is … wary of Zordon."

Zedd smirked to himself at this. "Tell me this 'easier way' of yours."

***

Zedd returned to the balcony and scanned the world below him for the Green Ranger once again. Goldar and Scorpina's plan could not go into effect for a few hours at the least, Zedd found himself unable to wait so long to learn more about the boy.

He found him in the park with the other six Rangers. Zedd chuckled at the incredulous expression on the Green Ranger's face even as he wondered what it was the others did to put it there.

***

"What?!" Tommy said incredulously. "It's against the Code?"

"The Ranger Code," Zack responded, frowning. "You know, that thing we all swore when we joined the team?"

"_I_ never swore anything. So why don't you explain to me how _fighting the war_ is against the rules for the ones that are supposed to be warriors."

Kim rolled her eyes. "No one said fighting the war's against the rules, Tommy. That'd be like totally stupid."

"My thoughts exactly," Tommy murmured.

"The Ranger Code is three rules," Trini explained. "Never use the Power for personal gain, never reveal our identities, and never escalate a battle. What you're suggesting would be a major escalation of the whole war."

"You're shitting me, right?" Tommy returned. He turned to Harry and demanded, "_You_ swore to this stupid code, Harry?"

Harry hesitated to respond. "Uh. Well, you were already a Ranger. I assumed you must be okay with it."

"You thought I'd ever agree to something as _suicidal and stupid _as that?"

"I figured you must have," Harry said. "I mean, you joined the team, I just assumed Zordon would have told you something like that."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "You thought since I'm 'on the team' he would have mentioned the existence of rules if he expected me to follow them? Logical, I suppose. Those rules, however, show he is completely lacking anything like logic."

Billy frowned. He didn't understand where Tommy was coming from with that and he prided himself in his logistical analysis skills. "How did you reach that conclusion?"

Tommy responded, "Keeping our identities secret is an obvious thing if you want anything even resembling a 'normal' life. Otherwise we'd find ourselves either mobbed by 'fans' when things are going good and possibly attacked by these wonderful people we're keeping alive when things go bad. But it doesn't always apply. There's times when you'd have to reveal your identity or die for the secret or allow someone else to die for it. So it's a stupid rule in it's overly restrictive."

Billy nodded to that. "I can see where disregarding that rule might be advantageous to us all at times."

"I can understand why they'd want us to believe that second rule on not using the Power for personal gain," Tommy continued. "But most those reasons are for their gain. And again, 'personal gain' is too vague a term. You could even say that when we're attacked in the park, no one else around, and you morph that you are using the Power for personal gain. After all, in that case, it is only your own defense that is in question. Yet if you were to use the Power to teleport to school when running late and therefore avoiding a detention that would interfere with training, then it's not personal gain. It's too vague in that it is almost entirely determined by the spin you place upon the action."

The other Rangers shared a look, each thinking on his words. Kim finally said, "I am so using that definition when I'm running late."

Tommy grinned at this. "Then there's that most annoying one. 'Never escalate a battle.' There is so much wrong with that. Basically that's saying to never win the war, just continue forever fighting the same damned battles over and over again without any end in sight."

The other six looked confused. Tommy said, "Let's try it this way. Kim, you and I will spar. You can use anything and everything you know, there's no rules. Don't worry about what damage you might do if it got through my guard. Nothing is out of bounds. You do have to make the first move though. Okay?"

"O-okay," she breathed, more than a bit worried at the idea of sparring Tommy, let alone doing so in such an open format.

"I however will follow one rule and one rule only," Tommy stated. "I will not escalate the fight. So before we start, who do you think will win?"

"You," Kim stated, sure.

"Most assuredly you, Tommy," Billy said. "You are the most talented of us all."

"You're also bigger and stronger than Kim," Trini pointed out.

Zack nodded. "And at least as fast as our Kimmy. There's no way she'd ever beat you."

Tommy turned to Jason and Harry as both boys remained silent. Harry shrugged and said, "I think you're setting it up for something so I'm sticking to no comment." Jason just met Tommy's eyes for a moment in silence.

"All true observations in general," Tommy agreed. "Ready, Kimmy?"

"As I'll ever be." She hesitated a moment longer in which Tommy simply stood at ease, waiting. Then she attacked. Tommy deftly blocked every move she made, never moving so much as a step off the spot he started upon. After awhile, Kim backed off to catch her breath and reevaluate. Tommy remained standing in the same spot, waiting. Kim attacked again to the same results. The cycle repeated a few times before Tommy spoke while blocking her moves.

"What do you think now?" he asked of them. Kim backed off again, breathing hard.

"You haven't lost any ground," Zack stated, sounding unsure.

"I haven't," Tommy agreed. "I also haven't gained anything. So long as I can only react defensively, I can do nothing to end the fight. I might not lose to Kim but I simply cannot win. The best I could hope for is that Kim will grow tired and bored enough to move on. Besides that, there is nothing that will end the match except for Kim to manage to defeat me."

Tommy watched the dawning understanding in their eyes. He continued, "That is how we've been fighting the war. That's what Zordon's rule of never escalating actually means. And while Kim might eventually grow tired and bored and move on in such a case, that is not the type war we're fighting. The difference in training is not in our favor, the difference in strength is not in our favor. And when you take into account their lifespan you'll see that even if we can manage to avoid losing in such a war, our enemies are not likely to grow bored and leave within our lifetimes. Think about it."

With that, Tommy headed off, leaving the rest of the team in shocked silence.

***

Lord Zedd laughed aloud as he watched the boy leave the park. Tommy was showing himself to be even more interesting that Goldar and Scorpina made him out to be.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	51. Meeting

**CHAPTER 51 -- MEETING**

A slight smirk touched Tommy's lips as Goldar and Scorpina teleported in beside him though he didn't open his eyes.

Scorpina frowned at him. "Are you _sleeping_ on the edge of a cliff now?"

"No, 'Pina," Tommy drawled. "I'm currently awake."

"Before we teleported down?"

Tommy opened his eyes and looked at her with humor dancing in his Columbia blue eyes. "That's a different matter entirely. _Relax._ I won't fall."

"How can you be so sure you won't roll in your sleep and …"

"Same reason I wake when you 'port in like that. I can feel it, just like I feel you or -- well, anything." Tommy chuckled. "Anyway, did you just 'port in to ask me of my sleeping habits or what?"

Goldar grinned. "We just wanted to see you. Outside battle."

"Huh." Tommy's eyes shaded to medium blue. "You're lying." He stood and started walking off.

"Tommy!" Scorpina called. "Why -- where are you going?!"

Tommy stopped but didn't turn to them. "I've had enough of people trying to feed me lies. I'm not dealing with it. This whole setup was crazy anyway. We're on opposite sides of a war, maybe it's time to act like it. I'm going home. You should go back to the moon and that worthless bitch you pretend to follow."

When Tommy started walking again, Goldar called out, "I'm sorry, Tommy. I wasn't thinking. You do deserve better than lies. I swear I will do my best to think before I speak in the future."

Tommy sighed and stopped again. He knew he should just continue on, he knew it was insane to remain friends with them. It was dangerous -- for all three of them. There were so many things that could go wrong, so much he could lose by thinking of them as friends. If Rita found out, if anyone from their side found out it was a death sentence. If Zordon or his government found out, Tommy wasn't sure exactly how they would react but he knew it would not be in any way beneficial to Tommy. Even worse though, if the other Rangers knew … Yet -- yet Tommy didn't want to lose Goldar and Scorpina's friendship. He met Goldar's eyes for a long moment. "Lie to me again and it will be the last time. This will be over."

"I can accept that. We're okay?"

"We're okay," Tommy agreed. _For now. Until this whole thing blows up in our faces. How the hell did I let this happen? Letting anyone close is dangerous, I've always known that and -- and until Harry I never let that happen. But now I have all these friends close to me and that's insane and dangerous. But even that's not bad enough. No, I have to have friends on both sides of the war. I must have completely lost my mind._ "I am going home now though. See you next time."

"Lord Zedd wants to meet you," Scorpina stated before he could leave.

Tommy's expression grew masked but the wariness was clear to see in his royal blue eyes. "Lord Zedd? That would be the one whose family the Green Dragon Powers come from. He wants to meet me. Why?"

Goldar said, "You mean besides you being the Green Dragon Ranger and thriving under a Power that is of his family? A Power that has killed those outside his family that has tried to claim it in the past."

"That has what?" Tommy questioned, just a bit shakily.

"That is the reason Rita tried to claim it by draining it from you through that green candle," Scorpina said though she threw a glare Goldar's way. "That way she could bypass the aspect of the Power that would have killed her otherwise."

"That --" Tommy shook his head, pushing all concerns over what his thriving under such a Power could mean to the back of his mind for the moment. "Does he know she did that? Or the other things, like calling herself Empress?"

"I do now," a new voice stated and Tommy flinched slightly but otherwise managed not to react to the shock of someone getting so close to him without his notice. Zedd was smirking at this as he stepped into sight. He made a slight motion to Goldar and Scorpina, dismissing them. They bowed and teleported out, leaving Zedd and Tommy alone on the cliff edge.

Zedd continued, "I have already arrested her however her punishment is yet to be decided. Perhaps there is more you would know to add to her charges before I make my decision."

Tommy remained standing still -- completely still and silent. He knew too much about Lord Zedd, more than he knew of anyone he'd actually met because of the Green Powers. He knew more than enough to fear the Dark Lord. Knew enough to see Zedd being interested in him was likely to turn out quite badly. Tommy wanted to step back, put more distance between him and Zedd that he knew would make no difference if Zedd wanted to hurt him. Two things stopped him -- his pride refusing to allow him to show such weakness and the fact that his back was to the cliff's edge now, leaving him nowhere to go.

When the silence stretched, Zedd took a step closer and said, "If you prefer not to speak here, child, you are welcome to join me in the castle. I'm afraid my palace is not quite completed."

"No," Tommy breathed in response. "Here is good."

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	52. Challenge

**CHAPTER 52 -- CHALLENGE**

Tommy moved his hands behind his back, pressed the command to teleport. Zedd smirked and said, "Teleportation is blocked, child. I have no desire for you to leave just yet nor do I wish for Zordon's Rangers to interrupt our conversation."

Tommy immediately caught how Zedd's words disassociated Tommy from the other Rangers. He pointed out, "I'm on Jason's team."

"Your words support mine, child," Zedd responded. "You said Jason's team, not Zordon's. Goldar said your loyalty is not to Zordon."

Tommy's eyes shaded from royal blue to light green. "I'm loyal to my people," he said in a defensive tone. "I thought you wanted to know about Rita anyway, not me."

Zedd nodded slightly to this, though he made note to discover exactly what the boy meant by 'his people' at a later date. After seeing him trap that one man in a car and leave him to the mercy of the child he'd tried to kill, Zedd doubted Tommy meant all the people of this world. At the moment though, the best way to learn about the boy was through his words on another. "Then by all means, child, tell me of her other crimes."

Tommy's thoughts wondered through his confrontations with Rita, his light green gaze locked at a point in the distance, carefully avoiding meeting Zedd's eyes.

'_It does not matter,' Rita spat in response to Tommy pointing out Lord Zedd's likely reaction to her arrogance. '__**He **__is not here nor will he be. He has no interest in this place, no idea of it's importance, and he will not know until it is too late. All here are completely loyal to __**me **__and me alone!'_

And later, in the same confrontation --

_Rita reached up and caressed Tommy's cheek lightly. "I will leave you here, boy," she breathed in his ear. "I will watch to see who you choose to sacrifice or if you choose to all die together. Once you have made that choice, I will defeat the remaining Rangers as they will be destroyed by whatever choice you make. I will claim this world and with it as a launching ground, I will contest the Emperor for control of the UAD itself."_

"_You're insane," Tommy softly stated._

_Rita ignored him. She cupped her hand under his chin and leaned down, kissing him hard. Tommy froze, forcing himself not to react at all to this invasion, his eyes midnight green. When she broke the kiss, she said, loud enough all heard, "There is another option, my tasty boy. You will give yourself to me and you will be whatever I want you to be, whenever I want it. Do this and I will allow the Red and White Rangers to survive. You may have them as pets." She released his chin and stepped back. "Well?"_

"She's been actively planning rebellion against you," Tommy softly breathed. "She doesn't know or care anything of the Warrior Way. She's foolish and arrogant. You can see that in her attacking this small planet that would be of no worth in an empire such as yours."

Zedd laughed at this attempt. "I don't believe this world is completely worthless, child. It did give birth to you and I find you to be quite interesting."

"I'm not interesting," Tommy disputed. "I'm just … I'm nothing. Just ordinary."

"You don't even believe that, child." Zedd closed the distance between them, leaving less than a foot between them. Tommy remained frozen still, his gaze locked straight ahead which had him staring at the Dark Emperor's chest. Zedd placed a claw under Tommy's chin and raised the boy's head until their eyes locked. "Tomi," Zedd softly stated the name, tasting it, and Tommy flinched at that particular pronunciation.

"Yes," Zedd hissed at this reaction. Scorpina supposed the boy spoke the language of the serpent, Zedd figured this was as good a time as any to test that theory. He continued in the same language, "You have heard of the Prophesies."

Tommy responded in the serpent tongue without notice. "I -- It's just a name. There's hundreds of thousands of people that go by Tommy on this world alone. It's just -- a nickname for Thomas, that's all."

"And how many of those Tommys carry within them the Power of the Green Dragon and speak the tongue of a Serpent Lord, my child?"

Tommy's breath caught in his throat. He had nothing to say to that, no way out. He knew from the moment he first heard Quagmire mention prophesy in connection to him that it would be trouble. Oh how he wished he was simply ordinary. Fear shining from his blue-gray eyes, Tommy barely breathed, "I'm not yours."

"The Green Dragon Power accepted you as its child. As I am Lord of the Green Dragon Line, that makes you my child by the Lines of Power," Zedd responded. He released the boy's chin and took a single step back. He'd seen what he came to see and had no desire to press the boy too far in a single meeting. "That is a fact, my child. You cannot stand against me, however if you prefer this proven to you …" He smirked, a dark and dangerous glint in his eyes. "The game is already in play. My side is ready now. Yours is … shall we say lacking. I saw you have begun training them. I'll give you a month to prepare your forces, my child. At that point, my first move will be to initiate an End Game."

With that, Lord Zedd teleported out. Tommy stood staring at the spot where he had stood for the longest moment, terror filling him.

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	53. Terrified

**CHAPTER 53 -- TERRIFIED**

Jason groaned as his communicator chimed, waking him. "'m here," he slurred.

'Jas?' Tommy's voice said, fear sounding through. 'We need to talk. Can you 'port to my location?'

Jason blinked, still half asleep. "There's an attack?"

'No. Not yet. Not for a month. Whatever the hell that means. Is it thirty one days? Thirty? Just twenty eight or some measurement from his world? We're not ready, we can't be ready by then...'

"Y're not makin' sense bro," Jason mumbled as he turned to look at his alarm clock. "It's four in the morning. No attack, 'm goin' back t' sleep."

'No! _Please,_ bro. I just -- I had a visit from Lord Zedd. We need to talk.'

Jason frowned. His eyes were drifting shut. "Who's Lord Zedd?"

'_Rita's master!_'

Jason was suddenly and fully awake. "What? Where are you, bro?"

'The canyons. My usual place.'

"I'll be right there."

Jason teleported into the canyons and found Tommy too close to the edge of the cliff once again. Tommy sat on the ground hugging his knees to his chest, a panicked look in his dark green eyes, tear stains on his cheeks. For a moment, Jason found himself back on the Island of Illusion watching helplessly as Tommy fought his demons alone.

"Jas," Tommy breathed, breaking through Jason's thoughts and bringing him back to the present.

"Tommy," Jason said, sitting beside Tommy -- and much closer to the cliff edge than he felt comfortable. Tommy surprised him by laying his head on Jason's shoulder but Jason pushed the shock aside quickly and wrapped his arm around the other boy's shoulders. For a long moment Tommy didn't say anything and Jason didn't ask. Tommy never showed fear like this and that he was doing so now scared Jason. Jason felt his shoulder getting wet, the only clue Tommy was crying as he made no sound. Jason hugged Tommy tightly and just waited.

"I was sleeping," Tommy breathed, when Jason had just decided he wasn't going to speak.

Jason frowned slightly. "Out here?"

Tommy nodded, his head shifting against Jason's shoulder. "I just … Sometimes I need to be outside, you know. Walls feel like a cell and I just … I have to get out, to remember I'm free."

"So you sleep out here when you're hurting," Jason summarized. "And this Lord Zedd guy showed up here?"

"He finds me interesting," Tommy murmured, shivering slightly at the mere thought. "He thinks those prophesies Quagmire told us are about me too. He -- he wants me, Jas. He thinks I'm his 'cause the Green Dragon Powers are of his family."

Jason hugged the other boy tightly, trying to give whatever comfort he could. Trying not to let Tommy see how scared Tommy's obvious fear made him. "It'll be okay, bro. He won't get you. We won't let him."

"You don't get it. He's so much more than _anything_ we've faced. He's the most feared in the multi-verse, Jas. And he said he's initiating an End Game."

Jason thought on that a moment. "I think I might know what that means but just to be sure, what is an End Game? And you said something about him not attacking for a month?" Jason vaguely recalled those words, spoken when he wasn't really paying attention and was more than half asleep.

"He said he'd give me a month to 'prepare my forces'. And End Game, how he said it, means someone'll die before it's over. Or maybe he meant all of you. But not me. Never me," Tommy sighed the last.

Jason suppressed a sigh of his own. He'd feared that's what that meant. "We'll think of something, bro. I don't care how impossible it seems, we'll think of something." Jason just held Tommy for along while, lost in thought. This Lord Zedd terrified Tommy and the thought of the bravest man he knew being so terrified made it hard for Jason not to give into the same emotion. "I'll tell you what, bro," Jason finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen. "When it's closer to time for the others to get up, I'll call them to join us. Thinking about it, you're right about those rules. We'll take the next month off of school and just work on training, okay? We'll tell Mr. Caplin who we are, and our parents, so it'll work out. Sound like a plan?"

Tommy thought on that then nodded, finally starting to relax. Jason would make everything alright. "Yeah. I think I know someone that can help with that training too." He yawned and cuddled into Jason's side trustingly. Nothing else was said and soon he drifted off to sleep.

Time passed slowly for Jason as he spent the remainder of the night awake, sitting as still as possible to avoid disturbing Tommy's sleep. As tired as Jason felt, he couldn't help but feel Tommy needed the sleep worse. To Jason's eyes, Tommy had looked exhausted when he regained consciousness after the green candle incident and as the days passed, he just looked worse. Then the fear 'meeting' Zedd instilled in him added to it all. That Tommy turned to him for comfort, laying his head on Jason's shoulder when he usually avoided physical contact with everyone, showed how much everything was getting to the other boy. Jason wondered if Tommy had ever had anyone comfort him like this before. Something told him the answer was no, that no one had offered such support, that Tommy hadn't been willing to risk trusting anyone else to accept anyway. So Jason held him, sitting too close to the cliff edge and waiting for the sun to rise and the day to begin. If this was what Tommy needed then Jason was more than willing to lose a little sleep to be there for him. After all, Jason knew Tommy would give his life for him, how could he ever deny something so much less than what Tommy already willingly gave?

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	54. Changing the Rules

**CHAPTER 54 -- CHANGING THE RULES**

The other five Rangers teleported into the canyons behind Jason and Tommy; they stared in shock at the sight before them. Their presence woke Tommy who immediately pulled away from Jason's side but didn't turn to face the rest of the team. Instead he stared out over the canyons, his legs dangling over the cliff edge.

"A little close to the edge there, Tom," Harry stated, breaking the shocked silence.

"I won't fall," Tommy responded without turning.

Harry just looked at him for a long moment. "Whatever," he said curtly but his gaze never wavered from Tommy's form.

Tommy closed his eyes against the pain such a dismissive response caused within him. They used to be so close. Before they came to Angel Grove, they were each other's worlds. Something changed that and Tommy wasn't sure how or when that happened.

Jason carefully shifted back from the edge before standing and stretching.

"What's up?" Zack asked him.

Trini commented, "We'll be late to school if we don't hurry."

"Don't worry about that," Jason said. He glanced at Tommy, the worry clear on his face, then turned to face the others. "Things are changing. We're not going to school today. Or we're going there but not for school. I'm telling Mr. Caplin who we are and I suggest we all tell our parents too."

"What?!" Zack exclaimed.

"That's totally crazy!" Kim complained. "My mom'll totally freak!"

Trini and Billy remained quiet, introspective looks upon their faces. Harry also kept his silence but Jason wasn't sure if this was because he was thinking over what Jason said or because he was ignoring everything in favor of staring at Tommy's back.

"Something happened," Billy stated.

Jason nodded. "Lord Zedd, Rita's master, showed up and he … sorta challenged Tommy. The gist is he's giving us a month to 'prepare' but at the end of that month he's making a major move. And End Game, he called it, and Tommy says that means someone will die before it's over."

Jason paused. No one said anything but it was easy to see the worry written across their faces. Jason continued, "Remember how Quagmire called Tommy the 'Child of Prophesy'? Zedd believes that and he wants him. Tommy thinks he means to kill all of us to get him. Tommy also said this Zedd is a bigger threat than we've faced before. I think we should take this threat seriously so we're taking the month off school and training with Tommy and whoever it is he thinks can help us learn what we need."

Silence fell as everyone thought about this. Then Trini asked, "How are we handling it then?"

"We can tell them all together, I guess," Jason said. "Just teleport out of the canyons and call our parents to meet us at the school. Then all of us go to Mr. Caplin and get him to talk to us all."

Trini, Billy, Zack, and Kim agreed. Harry commented, "Tommy and I don't have to call..."

"Harry," Tommy said, a soft warning.

"I'm tired of this shit, Tommy," Harry responded. "I'm not doing it anymore."

Tommy stood, causing the others to flinch in fear of him falling. He turned to face Harry and the distance between him and the edge increased with the move to almost a foot's width. "You guys go ahead," Tommy said, his tired clear green gaze locked with Harry's. "We'll meet you in a few minutes."

Jason hesitated. "You sure?"

"We'll be okay, bro. Harry and I really need to talk."

"Okay. We'll wait for you to join us before we go in the school." With that, Jason and the others teleported out, leaving Tommy and Harry alone.

The silence fell heavy between them and though if he reached out he could easily touch the other boy, Tommy couldn't help but think the distance between them seems insurmountable.

"I get that you don't need me anymore," Tommy finally said. "But does that mean you have to make things harder for me?"

Harry looked stunned. "What?"

"Telling my secrets." He sighed. "Is it so bad as it is for you? Do you need something else, someone else so much?"

"No, that's not --" Harry shook his head. "What makes you think I don't need you?"

Tommy frowned slightly. That wasn't a question he expected. "You're never around anymore. If I come home and you're studying, you take your books and leave as soon as I arrive. You seem angry when I get back from making the rent, you don't seem to like anything I do anymore. What am I supposed to think, Harry?"

"You have that all wrong, Tom. You're the one that's never around. I know it's not really your fault. It's because you're trying to support us both and you're the biggest target in the war so all the shit lands down on you. I -- I haven't been leaving because you got back. I never meant you to think that. I just … I had questions on my assignments so I went to ask Billy. Would've asked you, that's why I was there waiting for you to get home, but every time you get back home you seem so hurt, lost even. I just didn't want to bother you with something so small when you already looked like the weight of the world resting on your shoulders was crushing you."

Tommy looked down. "If I haven't done anything wrong, why do you want to mess everything up?"

"I don't." Harry picked his words with care. "The only thing I need that you can't provide like this, Tommy, is for you to be safe. I just … I can't just watch anymore."

"Seetha adopted me, Har. If anyone finds out, they'll send me back there. Even if that wasn't the case, taking away freedom isn't gonna keep me safe anyway. We're in the middle of a fucking war."

"They won't send you back and they won't take your freedom 'cause we'll be telling them at the same time we tell them we're Rangers. They can't send you back 'cause the fate of the world really is in our hands. If they want the world protected, they can't mess with the team like that. The same thing with our freedom. They can't take that when we need it to fight. We just need one of them to let us stay with them so we don't have rent and all to worry about, that's all."

Tommy smiled sadly. "I think you're a dreamer, Har. What if the other Rangers don't want a whore on the team?"

"That's not what you are," Harry disputed strongly. "You've just done what was needed to survive. And strong survival skills are a good thing in a Power Ranger."

"I don't like this," Tommy breathed.

"I know. You just need to trust us."

"Or you could just trust me. Don't tell."

Harry sighed, a defeated sound. "I do trust you, Tom. We should go, the others are waiting."

Tommy looked at him for a moment, judging. Then he nodded, trusting he'd won the argument. Harry teleported out. Tommy took another few seconds before he followed.

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	55. Revelations

**CHAPTER 55 -- REVELATIONS**

"All our parents have arrived already," Jason informed the moment Tommy joined them. "Did you still need to call yours?"

Tommy shook his head. "Everyone I want called will be there."

"Are we ready then?" Jason asked the team.

"As we'll ever be," Zack murmured while the others nodded.

Jason led the way inside. Their parents were already talking to Mr. Caplin outside the principal's office, they all noticed the seven children's entrance. As Jason stepped forward to speak, Tommy walked a bit further down the hall and opened the door to their homeroom.

"Mrs. Applebee," Tommy greeted. "Could you please join us? With Bulk and Skull?"

Mrs. Applebee looked up in confusion, and caught a glimpse of the principal with the other children and their parents in the hallway. She nodded. "Boys, if you would join us. Mr. Russell, I leave you in charge."

As they approached the others, Zack frowned. "Bulk and Skull?" he questioned Tommy.

"They're my friends," Tommy stated simply.

"You've got bad taste in friends."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps I do. I have, after all, used that term for you."

Zack started to respond but Billy cut him off. "Bulk and Skull have grown through association with our Greenman. However, Zack, even if they had not achieved advancement in maturation it would be inadvisable to articulate so callously against those which a friend applies the term of friendship."

Tommy grinned while Zack looked upon Billy in confusion. "Huh?" Zack questioned.

"If you consider Tommy a friend," Trini translated, "don't cut down his friends."

Harry rolled his eyes and added, "More to the point, don't insult someone that you count on to watch your back. You have a bad habit of doing just that when you're scared, Zack."

"I'm not scared!" Zack disputed. "I'm no coward! I beat all my fears along time ago."

"The only ones that feel no fear are those with nothing to lose or those that are too stupid to realize they can lose," Tommy stated. He turned to Jason. "We should move this somewhere more private."

"Teacher's lounge is empty this time of day," Mrs. Applebee said. "I suggest we head that way."

Once everyone was in the teacher's lounge and the door was shut, Mr. Caplin said, "I must admit this is the first time I've had students call a conference."

Jason grinned at this. Taking a deep breath, he said, "We need to tell you something. The only reason we haven't told any of you before this is that it's against the rules. Tommy pointed out how foolish the rules are when taken to extreme, then something else came up. Because of those two things, we're here."

Mr. Scot said, "That's a lot of words and no information there, son."

"Against whose rules?" Mrs. Hart asked.

"Zordon's," the original Rangers answered together. Before anyone could point out the obvious, that none of them knew a Zordon, Jason said, "Rangers, it's morphin' time."

Where usually the morphing actions would be performed at a speed no human eye could follow, this time they forced themselves to move slowly.

Tommy called his Power Coin to him first and called out, "Dragonzord!" Even those that already knew who the Rangers were stared in amazement as a blinding flash of green light appeared at his call; when they could see again the Green Ranger stood before them.

"Raptor!" Harry followed.

"Mastodon!" Zack followed.

"Pterodactyl!" Kim cried.

"Triceratops!" Billy said.

"Saber-Toothed Tiger!" Trini shouted.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason finished, and the entire Ranger team stood before the astonished audience. Jason then led them to power down.

"I didn't think it'd be anywhere near that hard to slow down the motions," Trini commented.

"That's --" Mr. Caplin's gaze flashed from one Ranger to the next. "You're the Power Rangers."

"Obviously," Zack said.

Mrs. Hart turned on Tommy. "You -- You tried to kill my baby!"

Tommy rolled his eyes while the other six Rangers jumped to his defense. Mrs. Applebee, Bulk, and Skull also joined the fray in Tommy's defense while several of the other parents joined Mrs. Hart. Tommy moved away from the others, sat on the window ledge. Harry didn't stop arguing in Tommy's defense though he moved without conscious thought to place himself between Tommy's seat and the angered parents.

Mr. Caplin walked over to Tommy. "You're taking their reactions well," he commented.

Tommy shrugged. "It's to be expected. They're right --"

Jason turned to Tommy. "They are not!"

"I did come the closest of anyone to killing all of you. That's indis--"

"It was not you. It's Rita's sin, Tommy. Not yours. Never yours."

"How can you defend him after all he's done?" Mr. Scot demanded.

"After all he's done?!" Jason angrily repeated, facing his father. "Like what, Dad? Saving the world, saving my life? Standing up to Rita when everyone else is running in fear? Never backing down, running to the rescue even when it seems impossible? After all that, you dare ask how I can stand for him?! Because he stands for me! He's died for me!"

"He almost destroyed the world before he ever thought of saving it!" Mr. Scot returned just as venomous as his son. "Even he admits he almost killed you all! What'll you do when he decides he liked fighting on the other side better?!"

"He won't! You have no idea what you're talking about! None of you can even begin to know what it's like 'cause none of you have lived it!" Jason's voice dropped from shouting to a bare whisper. "Rita abducted him and put a spell on him, forcing him to fight for her. When we broke the spell … he … None of it was him. None of the destruction, none of the death, but he still carries guilt for Rita's actions. He still doesn't believe he deserves our friendship and love. God, Dad, of all the pain and hell that's come from this … He's the greatest victim of this war."

" 'He' is sitting right here," Tommy commented but it went unnoticed.

"I don't want him around," Mr. Scot ordered. "I don't give a damn who he is or who you think you are now that you're this so great 'Power Ranger', I won't have anyone around my family that's ever been a threat to any of us."

The rest of the room fell silent at these words, everyone's attention turned to Jason's response.

"Who I think I am? This isn't about Tommy," Jason said calmly, completely in control of his temper now. "This is about you. You don't like finding out we're the Rangers, that _I_ am the Red Ranger. You don't like the idea that for over a year now, you've been looking to me and my friends for your protection. That you've been like any other citizen, running and hiding when danger came, just watching us doing all the fighting. This isn't about Tommy at all, it's about you and your foolish pride. You're using him, blaming him so you can pretend you're protecting me from something when you haven't been protecting me in along time."

Jason crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall, completely sure where they stood now. "Guess what, Dad, acting the ass and blaming Tommy for being stronger than you can even begin to imagine, for surviving hell and standing against it when those like you that don't have even a small idea of what it actually is are running and cowering, that isn't going to make you more of a man. I used to respect you, Dad, I looked up to you. But all I see now is a coward, afraid to face himself and therefore blaming an innocent for your shortcomings. I see a nobody."

Tommy was staring at Jason, his green turquoise eyes wide in shock. He tried to speak but no sound would pass his lips.

"Jason," Mr. Scot said, sternly.

Jason shook his head. "You know what you're doing Dad? It's the same damned thing the media does in blaming him but worse. You wanted a scapegoat and Tommy seemed easy to you. Because Rita used him, tried to kill us through controlling him, and through him came the closest ever to really defeating us. The media's portrayal of him gave you justification 'cause they were looking for a scapegoat too, and they ignored what we told them. But _Tommy is innocent_. You are all in the wrong to blame him. And he's _still_ die for you." Jason glanced at Tommy, smiled at the obvious astonishment on the other boy's face, then turned back to his father and said, "You know what's funny about it all? You and the media, all these idiots that insist on blaming Tommy for everything, you all look at him and see someone easy to blame. You think if he's the threat to us, you can handle it. Rita and Goldar and Scorpina, and this new arrival of Lord Zedd, those creations we face almost daily, even the putties, you can't touch them. They're beyond your comprehension. And you _mistakenly_ see Tommy as touchable. But nothing you could do could touch him physically unless he allowed it. The only reason any of you can hurt him is because he's innocent. And you completely misjudge me. You make it a choice between Tommy and you, I'll choose Tommy. He's the better man."

Billy stepped over to Jason's side, away from his father. "I as well will always stand with Tommy and my Ranger family despite anyone else's opinion."

Kim moved to stand beside Harry and in front of Tommy. "I might still have a lot of growing up to do," she commented mostly to Tommy. "But as least I know I've passed these idiots. Power Rangers forever, right."

"Right," Harry agreed, as Tommy was still in too much shock to try to respond.

Zack and Trini moved away from their families and joined the rest of the Rangers. Zack said, "I don't always like Tommy but I _always_ respect him. I know he's stronger than any of you could ever know."

"We're a team," Trini stated. "We stand together no matter what. Jason's right too. Tommy is the better man."

888

Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	56. History

**CHAPTER 56 -- HISTORY**

"Always respected," Tommy breathed to himself but in the silence that had fallen over the room after the Rangers stated so clearly where they stood, everyone heard him.

"It's true," Zack said, causing Tommy to look up at him, the doubt visible in his hunter green eyes.

Tommy started to just shrug off this comment but decided to answer. "No it isn't. You … I had to die for you to respect me at all."

"Die? But …" Mrs. Kwan questioned but was ignored by the Rangers.

"That's not true, Tommy," Zack said. "I know that's how I acted but it's not how it was. I respected you for the strength it took for you to join us after we -- after you were freed of Rita's spell. I kinda think you did most of that too. I know Jason destroyed the focus but you … you kinda let him do it. But that's beside the point. I think the biggest problem I ever had with you isn't what I've told you before. It's … it's that you remind me how easy it would be for us to lose, to fail everyone."

Tommy just looked at him for a long moment, a hint on confusion in his royal blue eyes. Finally he sighed and said, "I don't get it." When Zack looked at him incredulous, he told him, "English isn't my native tongue."

"Oh, yeah," Zack breathed. He thought a moment. "I'm not stupid, you know. I _know_ how our battles went against you. I _know_ we didn't win them. You just … you just _stopped_. Every time. When we found out it was a spell … It was clear the reason we were still alive is that you were fighting the control. I've felt their control before, most of us have, but nothing like what she did to you. It was always small things. The biggest was with Billy and Kim -- ask them about the Punk Potion sometime."

"Or don't," Kim said, making a face at the thought.

Zack continued, "We never managed to fight the little controls ourselves, the rest of the team was just good enough to stop us and fix the problem. We weren't good enough against you. But you fought that major control when we couldn't even fight the small ones and … well, every time I looked at you, it reminded me we weren't good enough. That the only reason we were still alive is because you're good. I always thought we'd win this damned war because we're the good guys. The good guys always win in movies and all but … but this is real life. Every time I looked at you, I'd be reminded that we could die and I just wasn't ready for that."

Tommy met his eyes. "Are you ready for that now?"

"I guess you have to admit you can die before you try hard enough to live, huh," Zack commented. "This Lord Zedd … You're the strongest and bravest man I know, Tommy. If you're reacting like I've seen you react to him, I'm gonna take it serious. I'm ready to work at survival."

"Good. 'Cause we have a lot to do this month. Starting with the explanation to these people here, Jas," Tommy added.

"Yeah." Jason hesitated. He looked to Tommy and asked, "Where should I start?"

"Beginning usually works," Tommy told him. "Short version but not too short, I haven't figured out the training schedule yet anyway."

"While your making that schedule, remember we do require sleep, Tom," Harry pointed out.

"Why is Tommy the one making your training schedule, honey?" Mrs. Scot asked. "I thought you led as the Red Ranger always appeared to be the leader."

Jason looked at her for a long moment, thinking on his answer. "I am. Just as leader, I choose to follow the one that knows the most what's going on here and how to handle it. Anyway, our story." Jason took a deep fortifying breath and began. "It started on a normal day. Billy, Kim, Trini, Zack and I were all off doing our usual stuff when a tremor hit. Each of us was alone somewhere but none of us were worried or anything. It was a nothing occurrence most times but that day, instead of it passing and us continuing on, we found ourselves teleported to this obviously alien place. We saw each other and we … well we recognized each other but we didn't really know each other then. A deep voice greeted us and we turned and saw this giant tube filled with a floating head that introduced himself as Zordon of Eltare, a general on his worlds. He said he'd chosen the five of us to be our world's protectors against this witch that escaped her prison of the last ten thousand years." He paused, shook his head at the memory. "That was just insane for so many reasons, not the least of which being we were twelve and thirteen years old at the time. Trini and I were in the martial arts but there were so many even in that school that outranked us. As far as I knew, none of the others ever even attempted something like that. We told him -- No, I was the only one that said anything. I told him no way and walked out the door, the others followed me." He chuckled sardonically. "Into the middle of the desert. And Zordon had placed the Power Coins on us without us knowing it."

Jason continued on, uninterrupted, with a short but complete enough history of their time as Rangers. Until finally he reached the current day. He explained Tommy's call in the night, Zedd's challenge, and their planned training schedule.

"I have one question," Mr. Caplin said.

"Just one?" Jason questioned, surprised. "What?"

"Tommy, Harry. Why aren't your parents here?"

"We don't have any," Harry responded before Tommy could. "We live alone."

"Harry!" Tommy exclaimed, shocked.

"I told you I wasn't letting it continue," Harry pointed out.

"I thought you trusted me."

"I do. You just need to trust them. They'll stand by us."

"What the hell do you mean?" Jason demanded. "You live alone? You don't have parents? How is that possible?"

"You live on the streets then?" Kim softly asked. "Like that kid you stopped a battle to save when you were still under Rita's spell? That's what you meant when I asked why."

Tommy shook his head. "We're not on the streets. We have a place, an apartment of our own. It's as safe as anywhere. We don't … I don't know about our White Knight here," he said, a slight sneer to his words, "but _I_ don't need anyone. I'm fine."

"How can we not know this?" Jason questioned again. "How the hell can you rent an apartment at our ages anyway?"

"It makes no fucking difference. You want details, ask the White Knight. I have better things to do, like making plans to hopefully keep us all alive passed the first confrontation with Zedd!" Tommy responded. Power flowed around him in a visible green aura. Though he'd never seen anything quite like it before, Jason somehow knew exactly what Tommy was doing.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.


	57. Trust

**CHAPTER 57 -- TRUST**

Power flowed around Tommy in a visible green aura. Though he'd never seen anything quite like it before, Jason somehow knew exactly what Tommy was doing. "Wait! Don't leave, please!" Jason called out, ignoring everyone else as he stepped towards Tommy. The Power settled slightly. It was still visible around Tommy but no longer swirling in preparation to teleport him away. "It's okay bro. Whatever it is, it'll be okay," Jason assured. "Just please stay and tell me what it is. Trust me."

Tommy's gaze locked on the floor. Jason took the final step between them and gently raised Tommy's chin until their eyes met. He wasn't sure what to make of the expression in their tea green depths. Around them, the parents, teacher, principal and friends fell silent as they watched the interactions between the two boys. The silence was insured by the very visible Power surrounding Tommy, inspiring a mixture of awe and fear from the gathering. Neither Tommy nor Jason took any real notice of anyone else's presence, let alone their reactions. "You'll hate me," Tommy breathed.

Jason shook his head no. "Impossible."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. You're my best friend. Nothing can take that away." He paused then asked, "Where do you come from, bro? Why is it you fight like it's always been about survival? What did you save Harry from, what is it that made him 'not like being out'? What does 'nameless' really mean?"

Tommy looked deep within Jason's eyes, measuring him. He sat on the window ledge hugging his knees to himself, looking so young and lost but the look in his iris blue gaze was much too old, the Power flowing around him giving him an otherworldly air. Then he quietly admitted in a flow of words that left Jason and everyone else confused, "We can't be put in the system. I tried to warn Harry but he's so stubborn and he thinks he knows but he doesn't. If we're in the system, _he'll find us_. And he'd kill Har a lot more painfully than if I'd just left him there. You don't run from him, and if you do, he makes sure no one else does. If he can't find us then we're safe. I'll do whatever it takes for us to be safe."

Tommy paused. When he continued there was a darkness in his fern green eyes that hadn't been there a moment ago. "If he tries to touch us, I'll kill him. I won't let him hurt Harry 'cause of me, I won't let that happen again. I won't go back. I don't care about anyone's rules or what anyone thinks of it. I won't fear him anymore. Whatever it takes, I'll protect us. I make my own way now. The past doesn't matter, we're free."

_Well that made almost no sense,_ Jason thought to himself, trying to decipher Tommy's words. He sat down on the window ledge beside Tommy, his movements slow and cautious, taking care that nothing in his manner would register as a threat to the young warrior. He started to speak, stopped, then shook his head in confusion. "How can you be both?" he breathed, mostly to himself.

"What?" Tommy questioned, confused.

"I said that aloud, huh?" He was still trying to figure out what Tommy had just said but it was too confusing. He finally decided Tommy had said he and Harry had been prisoners somewhere and the legal system could be a threat in possibly sending them back to that. Jason couldn't understand why Tommy thought that, Jason knew his dad would never send any child back into something like that, even if the man wasn't handling the Ranger thing well.

"Jas?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." He shook his head and answered Tommy's question. "How can you be both the greatest, most respected and feared warrior _and _the innocent and somehow defenseless child? How can _anyone_ be both?"

"I'm not a child," Tommy immediately responded in a soft tone. "I'm not innocent. If I'm defenseless then that doesn't say much for our team or our world's chances of survival. I am a warrior but I'm not the greatest, I'm not the most respected, and I'm definitely not the most feared. Most the 'verse would tell you Zedd's the most feared. I figure you as the greatest and most worthy of respect. I'm not. I'm just a warrior because it's all I really know and I -- I just refuse to give in." The last sounded like an oath, a promise to himself just made.

Jason just stared at him for a long moment. What do you say when your personal hero states so clearly how much he thinks of you and in the same breath admits to fearing his enemy? Jason knew Tommy feared Zedd, he'd seen it in Tommy's actions, heard it in his tone, but Tommy hadn't said it until now. Well, he _almost_ admitted the fear now. That was just as frightful, if not more so, than if he said it outright. _I hope I never fail him,_ Jason thought to himself.

Unable to decide on a response to all that, Jason answered the larger issue. "By Power, Honor and Life --"

"Jason!" the other Rangers exclaimed fearfully, knowing the power behind such oaths. But Jason and Tommy were wrapped up in their own world at the moment and took no more notice of this interruption than they had anyone else's presence.

"I swear --"

"Jason, stop," Tommy quietly said. Jason looked at him and Tommy said, "Do you know how dangerous … Words have Power. If you can't keep it, it'll cost exactly what you swear. Don't … don't do that just for me. I'm not worth it."

Jason didn't respond for a long moment. "Don't _ever_ say that about yourself again, Tommy. You're … you are the most important person in my life. You're what I live for and what I'm willing to die for. I would never make an oath I can't or even wouldn't want to keep. This one, I'll keep it spoken or not."

"If you're keeping it anyway, don't speak it. Don't chance it."

"I think you need to hear it. -- By Power, Honor and Life, I swear to you, Tommy, my best friend and brother Ranger, I would never willingly or knowingly do anything to put you or those you care about at more risk nor will I ever allow anyone to -- to hurt you, as it's in my Power to protect you. If you say the system is a threat then I will take your word for this and we'll make sure no one does or says anything to bring attention to these issues. If anyone tries something you think would be bad for you or Harry, we have the Power to stop it. Between us, we have more than enough Power to stop it so nothing to fear there. But I will not stand silently by if you're doing anything dangerous or harmful to you to keep yourselves independent. -- And I want the rest of the story, what it is you're hinting at." He took Tommy's hand in his. "I know who you are, nothing will ever change what you are to me, but I want to know where you came from too. I'll stand with you through anything, Tommy. I want to fight your demons with you, but I have to know what they are to do that."

Tommy smiled shyly at Jason's words but his tea green eyes were haunted. He tightened his grip on Jason's hand before he began speaking softly, so low the forgotten audience had to strain to hear him even in the silence of the room. "Harry and I came here about a year after we ran but we met for the first time about … eight, nine months before that when Seetha purchased him for the club. I'd been there as long as I can remember. He bought me from a children's home, legally adopted me."

That would explain why Tommy saw the system as dangerous. Jason's thumb rubbed over the back of Tommy's hand, offering what comfort his could through the touch Tommy would allow. Jason wanted to wrap his arms around the other boy and hold on tightly but he'd long ago learned Tommy wasn't comfortable with physical contact.

"What sort of club?" Jason asked just as quietly as Tommy had been speaking.

Tommy looked at him in silence for a long moment. Then he nodded to himself, reaching a decision. Whatever happened, even if he lost Jason and all the Rangers, at least he'd know where he stood. No more lies, even of omission, between them. -- That such a loss would kill him wasn't an issue, if they didn't know what he was then their connections weren't true anyway. Staring at their joined hands, Tommy began. "An underground 'entertainment' ring," he said, sneering the word entertainment. "Seetha owned a lot of people. The ones that were able, mostly mid-teens or adults, fought in the circuit. I was the youngest ever. Most times Seetha would call a winner before anyone died, he called it 'conserving resources' -- trained fighters were expensive for him to obtain. But the audiences loved end games so if he didn't call, you were supposed to finish it. I fought in only three end games."

"You -- you killed the other three fighters?" Jason breathed, unsure what to think of all this. His grip tightened on Tommy's hand. "They were trying to kill you? You were just a kid."

Tommy looked at him for a second before dropping his azure gaze once again. "What do you think the odds are of me becoming the fighter I am off one on one competitions?"

Jason didn't think it very likely. "One could hope."

Tommy gave a slight smile. "_You_ could hope, bro. That's one of the things I've always liked about you, and one of the most mystifying. But there, hope is just another word for hurt. It never happened, such … equal battles. If you could call a fight between a maybe six year old and a twenty year old equal. I killed all fifteen of the other fighters. Two in the first match, six in the second, seven in the last. It helped they never fought together even if they all came at me at once." He shrugged. "Seetha liked it, that a little boy could be good enough to beat such a group of veteran fighters over three times his size and muscle in his first fights. Really, I was lucky he didn't stick me with it more often. But it was better, it got me out of the --" Tommy stopped.

"What, Tommy?" Jason asked, his tone low and calming.

Tommy slowly looked up and met his eyes. It took everything within Jason to meet those azure eyes. "Jas. If you had to … do something to survive, and you have a chance to choose between hells, which would you choose to lose? Flesh or blood?"

A loud shattering sound echoed in the room, the sound of several coffee cups falling from suddenly numb hands, but neither boy took notice of it.

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Continued -- Review and let me know what you think.


	58. Reactions

**CHAPTER 58 -- REACTIONS**

"Jas. If you had to … do something to survive, and you have a chance to choose between hells, which would you choose to lose? Flesh or blood?"

Jason looked at him in confusion, trying to figure out what Tommy could mean by that question. Flesh or blood? One must refer to the fights but what was the other? What could it be that even after speaking of the other, Tommy would be hesitant to say? Jason paled as a possible meaning occurred to him. His grip tightened on Tommy's hand strong enough that if they weren't Rangers both their hands would have broken. "By the Power," he breathed.

"None of this was 'by the Power', Jason." Tommy sighed, his gaze dropping to their joined hands again as he saw the beginnings of understanding in the other boy's eyes.

Jason's other hand gently raised Tommy's chin until their eyes met once again. "Flesh and blood? It's the fights and …" Jason swallowed hard. "I'm just guessing here bro, from things in movies and the like. But is it … Is it why you don't like touch?"

Tommy looked into his eyes before once more dropping his gaze. "It's not touch, not really. I don't like the feel of flesh on flesh. Or the smell or … how … dirty it makes me."

"You're not dirty," Jason disputed.

"Feel dirty."

"It's not your doing."

Tommy looked up, his midnight blue eyes locked on Jason's with a frightful intensity. "I've had sex with more men than I can count."

Jason felt tears fill his eyes at this confirmation of what he'd feared. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. It's not your doing, bro. Those men are dirty. Not you."

His eyes shaded to green turquoise at Jason's words. "You mystify me, bro."

Jason grinned at that. "That's only fair 'cause you're like a total enigma to me. The more I learn, the more I want to know your everything."

"You're crazy, you know that."

"Requirement in this life."

Tommy grinned slightly. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You don't care that I almost killed you, why should this matter to you, right."

"_You_ didn't almost kill me. It was Rita's spell. You weren't in control, not against her and not against those men. You're innocent." Jason brushed Tommy's hair back from his face and smiled. "Everything you've done by free choice has been good, bro."

"I don't know about that." Tommy shrugged. "Anyway, on with my fucked up life story here. -- There, as Seetha's you were … safer if you just didn't care, you know, about anything. Then Harry was there and … I couldn't not care anymore. I pushed the limits of what I could do for him, like rearranging things so he never actually was taken to 'train'. All that did is send some other kid there instead. No one noticed 'cause there's so many there and Har took my advice and stayed invisible. Eventually someone would have caught on but I was hoping to have things set to get out of there before that happened. We didn't get the time. -- One day, Harry spilled some food and Seetha … got mad. He was beating Har to death but I … interrupted in an insane, borderline suicidal manner, and claimed I'd spilt it 'cause I was in a hurry and … Well, when I healed, I ran, taking Harry with me, left everyone else." He shrugged. "Got passed the security okay and … I guess I was one of the more educated ones there. On an earlier failed escape attempt Seetha had realized the particulars of how I learn things and decided that since he thought I'd never get away from him, he'd use those skills. That came in handy when we ran. We traveled kinda randomly around until we ended up in the Grove, I entered the tournament for the prize money and I met you. I felt … connected with you immediately, like with Harry except stronger. Rita abducted me and put that spell on me and that was … worse. When you freed me from her, I really thought …" Tommy shook his head. They both knew what he'd thought, what he'd expected.

"Yeah. I think I see why now," Jason breathed.

"But you asked me to join you, offered me a place in the family, the _**choice**_, and … You made me a believer in the impossible. I know …" Tommy broke off. _I know it's impossible for you to still want me here now. I don't belong here. I don't belong with the Rangers. Yeah, so I protected Harry there but at another's expense. And I saved Harry from there but I left everyone else behind. Jason would have saved them all somehow. I just don't see how._

Silence descended as Tommy finished speaking. After a long moment, Tommy slowly raised his eyes until they met Jason's. Then froze. Jason's eyes were moist with tears and filled with sorrow and … Dare he hope, or was it still as dangerous to him as it was in Seetha's pins? Was that really understanding and acceptance he saw in Jason's eyes?

"Yeah bro. I'm not gonna leave you," Jason murmured, reading the fear in Tommy's eyes, and the shock as Tommy read what was in his eyes. "Especially over the shit others did to you, that you were _never_ to blame for. Besides, you're not the only one that felt that immediate connection. If the whole 'verse turned against you, I wouldn't. I couldn't. You're my best friend. Nothing can break that."

Tommy met Jason's eyes in silence for a long moment. His eyes shaded from azure to emerald as Tommy smiled and shifted over to close the few inches that had remained between them as he spoke, he laid his head on Jason's shoulder. Jason immediately wrapped his arms around the other boy, holding him protectively. The Power that had visibly surrounded Tommy throughout the day finally settled, fading from sight.

"Looks like Jason's grown a lot since meeting Tommy too," Skull commented. Tommy and Jason's gazes turned to him, surprising Skull since they'd both managed not to hear anything else around them while they spoke through the entirety of the school day. They gave no sign of noticing the bell ringing throughout the day. They'd missed several teachers trying to enter the lounge only to find it locked. They gave no reaction when Mr. Caplin finally decided to make a sign saying a private meeting was taking place and place this on the door so the teachers would stop trying. The parking lot was almost empty now as everyone else already went home for the day. Skull grinned at them and said, "Finally realized you're not alone?"

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Continued -- Let me know what you think.


	59. Not Nameless

**CHAPTER 59 -- NOT NAMELESS**

Skull grinned at them and said, "Finally realized you're not alone?"

Jason blushed slightly but Tommy just looked upon Skull, measuring. "That's your whole reaction there, Skull?" Tommy questioned.

Skull shrugged. "I figured it out already." Seeing the question in Tommy's eyes, he expanded, "When you came to my place that time, before you scared my old man into letting Dad adopt me. You said you're not nameless. I knew some boys back home that were and one that wasn't. Adam explained it to me."

"What does that mean?" Trini asked. "We keep hearing it but no one's explained."

Harry said, anger burning in his eyes, "The Nameless are the lowest level slaves. The worthless, no one cares what happens to them. They're seen as replaceable toys. When they break, the pervs just get another. No one gives a damn that they lived or when they die. They might even kill the nameless over something like spilling a small amount of barely eatable food."

Zack commented, "So you were nameless then and Tommy wasn't? What happened? Tommy name you?"

Anger flared through Harry and the windows shattered. Tommy moved faster than the eye could follow, pushing Jason back from the window ledge where they'd been sitting as he threw his other hand up towards the shards. The glass froze in midair, held in an aura of green light to match the Power shining in his eyes. He waved his hand and the shards flew back to their places, Power flared, and the windows were restored.

Relaxing, letting the Power go again, Tommy turned to Zack. "You really need to learn to think before speaking, Zack."

"My parents named me," Harry spat angrily, though he was trying to control his emotions after the accidental release of Power. "They died and my aunt and uncle are the _real _worthless ones. After … when he lost his job, they sold me. End of story." Softer, to himself he said, "My parents loved me. I know they did."

Tommy offered a hand up to Jason who immediately accepted. "Thanks, bro," Jason said. He retook his seat on the window ledge, despite his parents obvious disapproval, then gently pulled Tommy back into his arms. "I thought Harry's control was better than that."

"Mage power isn't really controlled completely ever. Part of it is always connected to emotion," Tommy explained as he relaxed in Jason's embrace, resting his head on the other boy's shoulder once more. "What Zack said … the answer doesn't matter. Just saying it is … especially if the answer's ever been yes, it's just bad to ask someone if they were nameless."

"What about your name?" Kim asked, turning to Tommy and picking her words with a bit more care. "Is Tommy Oliver your real name or did you make it up?"

Tommy shrugged, not moving from his resting place in Jason's arms. "He named me Thomas. It's too weird to answer to something very different. Oliver I just made up. So I guess 'both'."

Billy questioned, "What did you mean by 'the particulars' of how you learn things?"

When Tommy hesitated on answering, Mr. Caplin said, "Unless I missed something in your story, before moving here you had never been in any type of school."

"I'd never seen a school," Tommy admitted softly. "After that first failed escape attempt …" He hesitated, choosing his words. "He caught me the first time but the attempt sorta gave away things I'd been secretly learning so he made the mistake of teaching me the rest of what I needed to escape him."

"Secretly learning?" Mr. Cranston questioned.

"I watched. I observed the world around me and took in the knowledge around me."

Jason asked, "You learned to fight from watching others? You never had training before they stuck you in those fights?"

"Jas." Tommy chuckled lightly. "I never had training. Period. -- He just put me in the fights, I learned what I could from those I was fighting, added it to what I'd already observed."

"You got that good on your own," Jason breathed. Then thinking a moment longer, he added, "No wonder you kicked our asses. You watched us, that's why you were just watching to begin with. You learned all our tricks before you ever took us on."

"And I learned Goldar and Scorpina's styles from working with and fighting against them. Same way I learned to pick locks or climb or most anything."

Billy said, "The Leon Trotsky theory of learning."

"Exactly."

"Huh?" Kim said.

"Russian revolutionary from the early 1900's," Trini told her.

Tommy quoted, "Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one's enemies."

"So what did he 'mistakenly' teach you?" Trini asked.

"Reading and internet," Tommy answered. "That was his biggest mistake. Once I knew to read, there wasn't much I couldn't learn and the internet makes it so nothing is beyong reach. He foolishly thought I was just using that to access the info he wanted. Math too. He had me keeping his financial records."

"I don't know what he was thinking," Harry commented. "Anyone would know handing your financial records over to someone with every reason to hate you would have to be a bad idea."

"_I_ know what he was thinking." Tommy smirked. "He thought he broke me. I'm good at acting and he saw what he wanted to see, just like everyone."

Mr. Scot commented, "Those words do not make it easy to trust you."

Jason glared at his father but before he could speak, Tommy said, "If you wish to view me as evil then that is what you will see. It won't matter what any of us say about it. I don't care if you hate me, it's nothing new. But we are at war, the seven of us are the defense. Think about that, think of how your thoughtless words will feel to you when you find yourself trapped in the middle of this war, praying for rescue, and knowing you insulted every single one of your possible rescuers." Tommy's steel blue eyes locked with the man's and he said, "It is not in your best interests to burn some bridges."

Tommy held his gaze a moment longer, then took in everyone in the room. "The real point in all this today is that you will not be seeing us much if any of this next month. We will not be attending school or spending much of any time apart. A challenge has been issued, one we have no choice in accepting, and in order to face this challenge the team will be training intensively."

Mr. Caplin agreed to this easily, taking no notice of the warriors' parents complaints. "I have a two room apartment in my backyard," he informed the Oliver boys as he dug a key out of his pocket and offered it to Tommy. "It's yours as long as you want it."

Tommy didn't touch the offered key. "What's the price?"

"Continue school and Rangering and set my mind at ease that you aren't doing things harmful to yourselves. Nothing more."

"Rangering comes first."

Mr. Caplin smiled. "This months absence will be excused. Any absence over Ranger related activities is excused. I trust in all of our honor to believe you will not abuse this."

Tommy smiled as he accepted the key.

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Continued -- Let me know what you think. Review.

For those interested, there is a list of the emotion corresponding to Tommy's eye color now in my profile.


	60. Preperations

**CHAPTER 60 - ****PREPERATIONS**

Tommy led the Rangers down the street, seemingly ignoring the large number of teenagers watching them from the porches and alleys as they passed nor did he care when those teens followed them at a short distance as he led the team to a worn looking building. Tommy walked in without hesitation, the other Rangers stopped just inside the door to let their vision adjust to the darker atmosphere. His mind was still mostly on the unveiling before the others' parents, their principal and teacher, and his friends. He was still unsure of what to think of them knowing that much about him, less sure of Mr. Caplin's providing a place to life, but he did know that no one would speak of those things to anyone else. Being mage born had its advantages, and it was a simple enough spell to confirm their silence.

"First lesson," Tommy said even as he continued towards the boys lounging around the hangout. "Never stop just inside a door like that. Makes you an easy target."

The Rangers didn't say anything to this but they rushed to catch up with him.

Tommy stopped in front of the gang leader, his navy blue gaze meeting the other boy's. "Connor," he said, nodding his head slightly in greeting.

"Dragon," Connor greeted in almost the same tone. Kim and Trini looked at each other and giggled at this.

Tommy ignored the girls. "It's Tommy."

Connor tilted his head in acknowledgement. Tommy continued, "The Rangers. Red is Jason. Zack is Black, Billy's Blue, Trini's Yellow. Pink's Kim and White is Harry."

Jason reacted, "Wait a minute. Who is this guy?"

Tommy just looked at him for a long moment, measuring. Then he said, "Harry?"

"A set boss - street gang leader," Harry answered. "I haven't heard much about the local sets. I blame Rangering for that. But you said his name's Connor?" When Tommy nodded slightly, he said, "I guessing Connor Street? He's been drawing more attention recently, over a 'miracle healing'. But he's been noticed recently anyway, the organizations don't like the way he does business which is a point in his favor to my way of thinking. And for you to be having anything to do with him, they can't be involved in the meat trade at all." Harry shrugged. "I thought the only set boss you were in good terms with was Ash. So why here instead of him?"

"Ash is across the country, he finds enough trouble on his own anyway, and he's too much like me. The stuff's all too natural to really know how to teach it." Tommy smirked. "Besides, Ash doesn't owe me anything."

Jason frowned slightly. He didn't know any Ash but he suspected it might be who Tommy went to when he disappeared on them. He decided to ask later. Right now, the gang leader in front of them was of more interest. "This guy knows you're the Green Ranger? Before we decided to tell anyone?"

"Yes bro," Tommy answered, smirking. "Strange thing, you heal someone with magic, they tend to take notice of it."

"I heard a ton about that," Harry stated. "The guys at the store were talking about some perv trying to kill a boss in a hit and run and they ended up stuck in their car that suddenly had no wheels and bullets wouldn't break the glass. I assumed it was you."

"What?" the other Rangers reacted. Trini shook her head and said, "Kinda blatant use of magic there, Greenman?"

Tommy shrugged slightly. "I got mad."

Zack responded, "Remind me never to make you mad."

Harry scoffed. "Zackman, you do that all the time."

Tommy's eyes shaded to sage green and his voice had a dangerous lilt as he said, "No. None of you have ever made me truly angry. You wouldn't want to see that."

The other Rangers froze as this once again reminded him of how dangerous their friend could be. Tommy turned his attention back to Connor and said, "I need to train these guys quickly and I remember seeing some of your guys fight before, they weren't bad. Could you help me get these guys in shape for an End Game?"

Several of the boys around the hangout reacted to this term but no one spoke up. Connor said, "I told you anything you need is yours."

Tommy smiled, the tension that filled him from the moment he first heard Lord Zedd was interested in him finally loosening. Their position was still dire, the odds so far against them he didn't want to even think about it, but the Rangers were willing to learn and others were willing to help teach them. It was no longer all resting on his shoulders alone. The path before him no longer seemed quite so dark.

The End

To Be Continued in the sequel - Walking The Warrior's Path

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.


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